Agrivoltaics

An Italian research team has found that radicchio seedlings grown in a lab-scale greenhouse with a perovskite solar PV roof exhibited faster growth and larger leaves than the bare glass reference. In addition, simulations of such a PV roof revealed a positive energy balance, satisfying the energy demands of a typical greenhouse located in Italy.

Researchers in Canada have compared strawberry growth under uniform illumination from semi-transparent thin-film cadmium telluride panels and non-uniform illumination from semi-transparent crystalline silicon modules. Their analysis considered metrics such as fresh weight, height, leaf count, chlorophyll content, soil temperature and humidity.

Fraunhofer ISE researchers investigating the impact of single-axis trackers on energy yield and agricultural losses in agrivoltaics have found that their use created an optimal balance between light available for photosynthesis and light available for electricity production.

South Africa’s Mpumalanga province is seeking developers to partner with its Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land, and Environmental Affairs to establish and operate agrivoltaics at selected sites, with applications due by April 10.

The translucent 320 W solar module will be presented for the first time in Rimini, Italy. It will be produced by production partner Agora in Slovakia from the third quarter.

University of Sheffield research finds agrivoltaics could be key to addressing land-use conflicts in England. Paper authors tell pv magazine a better understanding of how top UK crops perform alongside PV installations is needed, and farmer input is crucial.

Scientists have grown strawberries under thin-film cadmium telluride panels with varying transparency. They found that 40% transparency maintained a greater than 80% yield of uncovered plants. If all strawberry farms in the world were converted to agrivoltaics, they would produce up to 173 TWh a year.

The manufacturer will provide tailor-made tracking solutions for agrivoltaic projects in Saxony and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, among other sites.

Idemitsu Kosan says it plans to start building a 2 MW agrivoltaics facility in Japan later this year, following the successful conclusion of a 45 kW pilot project. The company has developed a proprietary agrivoltaics system based on tracker technology.

A European project aims to develop flexible tandem perovskite-CIGS solar technology to make 25%-efficient 100 cm2 modules with a variety of substrates for decentralized solar PV applications. The project entails using processes that are scalable for roll-to-roll production.