A new Danish study suggests that farmers may not need to choose between producing food and generating renewable energy, finding that vertically mounted solar panels can generate electricity while allowing crops to grow just as well as in open fields – and with greater public acceptance than conventional solar parks.
One of the most common reasons that planning permission for solar parks is refused is loss of agricultural land, yet land that is ideal for agriculture is often also perfect for solar PV deployment. As such, a lot research is being carried out to find ways in which land can be used for both.
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At a pilot site in Foulum, Researchers from Aarhus University tested two designs of bifacial solar panels: a traditional south-facing, tilted setup and a novel vertical, east-west system. Over the course of a year, the team monitored electricity production, microclimate conditions and crop yields for wheat and grass-clover mixtures planted between the panels.
They found that although vertical panels generated about 13% less electricity annually than tilted ones, their power output better matched daily energy demand, with peaks in the morning and evening.
Meanwhile, crop yields in the vertical setup were virtually identical to those in the open field. Researchers found that the panels acted as windbreaks, reducing evaporation and slightly raising daytime temperatures – effects that appeared to compensate for reduced light.
Professor Uffe Jørgensen from Aarhus University’s Department of Agroecology said: ‘Even with some shade, yields per square meter were the same. The crops actually benefit from the shelter the panels provide.”
The design also makes efficient use of land. Because the panels occupy only about 10% of the field, the combined system requires up to a quarter less land than if food and solar power were produced separately. Furthermore, vertical panels need fewer materials, reduce CO₂ emissions and integrate easily with farming machinery.
Public perception could be another decisive factor. In a virtual reality survey with more than 100 participants, people rated vertical agrivoltaics more positively than conventional solar farms. Viewed up close, participants liked that fields remained actively farmed and perceived the vertical panels as both innovative and environmentally friendly.
Gabriele Torma, assistant professor at the Department of Management, Aarhus University. said: ‘Participants liked the vertical panels better – especially up close, when they saw the land was still farmed. They also perceived vertical agrivoltaics as more innovative and environmentally friendly than conventional solar parks.’
Marta Victoria, lead author of the study said: ‘Our measurements show that wheat and grass-clover mixtures grow just as well between vertical solar panels as in open fields. At the same time, the panels produce electricity in a daily pattern that better matches energy demand. It’s a win-win.’
Photo: Aarhus University
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