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The Effect Of Agrivoltaics On Irrigation Water Consumption In Central California, London Camba

Undergraduate Theses

An agricultural system where solar energy generation and agricultural systems are used together for mutual benefit, agrivoltaics reduces loss of water due to evaporation, particularly in drylands. Central California has faced extreme droughts, and water has become a scarce resource. However, the wide-scale use of agrivoltaics has been limited due to lack of knowledge about agrivoltaics and also the lack of funding for start-up agrivoltaics projects. Therefore, this research investigated the potential for agrivoltaics in Central California to reduce irrigation water consumption using a review of multiple crop studies using agrivoltaics to determine an optimal crop for agrivoltaics and a …

Response Of Pasture Plants To Shade In Agroforestry And Agrivoltaic Production Systems, H. Kirschten, M. Graham, S. Ates, T. M. R. Maxwell, A. Rosati

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Agrivoltaics production systems have gained traction globally, holding promise to supply energy and food concurrently from the same unit of land. Studies investigating shade tolerant crops to optimize production under solar panels have mostly followed the findings of agroforestry studies. However, spectral composition of transmitted radiation in agrivoltaic and agroforestry production systems may not be the same, inducing different shade responses of understory crops. A pot trial investigating the effect of shade source on biomass production and morphology of perennial ryegrass, ribwort plantain and white clover was established during spring, in Oregon, USA. Treatments were solar panel shade, hazelnut tree …

Vertical Free-Swinging Photovoltaic Racking Energy Modeling: A Novel Approach To Agrivoltaics, Koami Soulemane Hayibo, Joshua M. Pearce

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

To enable lower-cost building materials, a free-swinging bifacial vertical solar photovoltaic (PV) rack has been proposed, which complies with Canadian building codes and is the lowest capital-cost agrivoltaics rack. The wind force applied to the free-swinging PV, however, causes it to have varying tilt angles depending on the wind speed and direction. No energy performance model accurately describes such a system. To provide a simulation model for the free-swinging PV, where wind speed and direction govern the array tilt angle, this study builds upon the open-source System Advisor Model (SAM) using Python. After the SAM python model is validated, a …

Do Agrivoltaics Improve Public Support For Solar? A Survey On Perceptions, Preferences, And Priorities, Alexis Pascaris, Chelsea Schelly, Mark Rouleau, Joshua Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications

Agrivoltaic systems integrate agricultural production with solar photovoltaic electricity generation. Given the proven technical, economic, and environmental co-benefits provided by agrivoltaic systems, increased proliferation is anticipated, which necessitates accounting for the nuances of community resistance to solar development on farmland and identifying pathways for mitigation. Minimizing siting conflict and addressing agricultural communities’ concerns will be key in continued deployment of agrivoltaics, as localized acceptance of solar is a critical determinant of project success. This survey study assessed if public support for solar development increases when energy and agricultural production are combined in an agrivoltaic system. Results show that 81.8% of …

Utility Scale Agrivoltaics Development Proximate To Michigan Communities With 100% Renewable Energy Goals, Kabanda Herve Christian Sheja

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This report aims to assess the potential of agrivoltaics (combined solar and agricultural systems) for development geographically proximate to the six Michigan (MI) communities that have set 100% renewable energy (RE) goals. I focus on one major research question: What is the total acreage of low-impact sites available for utility-scale (USS) agrivoltaics development proximate (within county boundaries) to MI communities with 100% RE goals? SAM is used to estimate land acreage required for a 10 MW agrivoltaic system development. ArcGIS Pro is used to determine the total acreage of low-impact sites proximate to MI communities with 100% RE goals.

Proximate …

A Review Of Transformative Strategies For Climate Mitigation By Grasslands, Nuria Gomez-Casanovas, Elena Blanc-Betes, Caitlin E. Moore, Carl J. Bernacchi, Ilsa Kantola, Evan H. Delucia

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Grasslands can significantly contribute to climate mitigation. However, recent trends indicate that human activities have switched their net cooling effect to a warming effect due to management intensification and land conversion. This indicates an urgent need for strategies directed to mitigate climate warming while enhancing productivity and efficiency in the use of land and natural (nutrients, water) resources. Here, we examine the potential of four innovative strategies to slow climate change including: 1) Adaptive multi-paddock grazing that consists of mimicking how ancestral herds roamed the Earth; 2) Agrivoltaics that consists of simultaneously producing food and energy from solar panels on …

The Social Dimensions Of A Technological Innovation: Agrivoltaics In The U.S., Alexis S. Pascaris

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis lays the groundwork for the broader realization of agrivoltaics by identifying the socio-political opportunities and barriers to development. Combining theoretical frameworks on technology diffusion and social acceptance of renewable energy with expert perspectives, this work seeks to understand, address, and accommodate the role of society and policy in combining solar energy and food systems. Three empirical studies are presented that first investigate the impediments to farmer adoption of the technology, then explore the challenges to development from the perspective of solar industry professionals, and conclude by outlining a comprehensive legal framework for agrivoltaics in the U.S. The findings …

Charting The Differences In Plant Growth Between Gardens In The Open And Under Solar Pa, Joe E. Smith

STAR Program Research Presentations

Agrivoltaics is a relatively new arrangement of land use that collocates agriculture and solar photovoltaic panels. Within the context of several ongoing projects testing the practicality of agrivoltaics in the arid climate of southern Arizona, we used a portable photosynthesis analyzer to compare the rates of carbon uptake and water loss in Chiltepin, Jalapño, and Tomato plants grown under solar panels and in the open, as in traditional agriculture. The portable photosyn- thesis analyzer creates a microenvironment around the leaf that regulates temperature, carbon dioxide, humidity, and light to assess plant functions in ambient and arti cial conditions. Two sets …