From sun to fork: How can circular agrivoltaics boost solar’s reputation and increase value creation for all?

Agrivoltaics – the combination of agriculture and solar energy – is uniquely positioned to address two of the biggest sustainability challenges of our times: biodiversity loss and food production. This is good news for solar, which can further strengthen its revolutionary potential; and for farming, which struggles to deliver increasing amounts of food to a growing population, and which suffers from climate-related events leading to crop failures and/or decreased yields.

In Europe alone, the potential for agrivoltaics is huge. According to industry association SolarPower Europe, “The technical capacity, if Agri-PV were deployed on only 1% of the EU’s arable land, is over 700 GW.”

Looking further afield, a 2019 paper in Scientific Reports titled ‘Solar PV Power Potential is Greatest Over Croplands,’ from Oregon State University concluded the western United States, southern Africa, and the Middle East have the greatest agri-PV potential, based on data sets for solar radiation, air temperature, wind speed, and humidity.

In this pv magazine Webinar, initiative partner Soltec and Powertis, a global solar project developer, will join us to discuss the different types of agrivoltaics, like solar greenhouses and elevated installations, and the associated benefits, such as protection against extreme weather conditions, and improved soil moisture.

Of particular importance for the PV tracker manufacturer are sustainability and the creation of a circular economy. Thus, the potential value creation this industry offers not only for the solar industry, but also the local communities where such systems are built, is of utmost import.

Speakers Pablo Otin, CEO and co-founder of Powertis, a development division of Soltec Power Holdings group, and Eduardo De San Nicolás, Soltec’s chief strategy and innovation officer, will present the concepts of agrivoltaics, and ecovoltaics – a new way of building solar plants to maximize the positive impact of large projects on both the environment and the communities in which they are installed by encouraging open dialogue and job creation in the local population, among other benefits.

pv magazine Webinar content

• Agrivoltaics – the different types and the associated benefits
• The development of sustainable agrivoltaic projects in different markets
• Ecovoltaics – what is it and why is it relevant for the solar industry
• Promotion of a circular economy and value creation through innovation
• Q&A

Questions can be submitted beforehand or during the webinar via a live chat window. Becky Beetz, Head of Content at pv magazine will be the moderator of this webinar.

Registration for this pv magazine Webinar is free of charge.