Farm roof under solar panels

Are solar panels good for crops?

A recent article in Agritecture says this: “In 2019, a study from the universities of Arizona and Maryland found great benefits in combining solar panels and crops. Up above, the solar panels were found to be kept 16°F cooler by evaporation from the crops below, enough to increase their energy generation by 2%.

Can solar panels shade large crop lands?

And while the grass under your trampoline grows by itself, researchers like me in the field of solar photovoltaic technology — made up of solar cells that convert sunlight directly into electricity — have been working on shading large crop lands with solar panels — on purpose.

Do solar panels increase crop yields?

Studies from all over the world have shown crop yields increase when the crops are partially shaded with solar panels. These yield increases are possible because of the microclimate created underneath the solar panels that conserves water and protects plants from excess sun, wind, hail and soil erosion.

What is agrivoltaic farming?

This practice of growing crops in the protected shadows of solar panels is called agrivoltaic farming. And it is happening right here in Canada. Such agrivoltaic farming can help meet Canada’s food and energy needs and reduce its fossil fuel reliance and greenhouse gas emissions in the future.