Combined Land Use of Solar Energy and Agriculture (Agrivoltaics) for Socioeconomic and Environmental Co-Benefits

Event Format: Hybrid

Abstract: Co-locating solar photovoltaics with vegetation (Agrivoltaics) could provide a sustainable solution to meeting growing food and energy demands. We studied the co-location of solar energy with crops/biofuels, grazing and/or pollinator-friendly native plants at multiple sites around the world, and explored the environmental and socio-economic co-benefits. The compounding effect of photovoltaic arrays and vegetation may homogenize soil moisture distribution and provide greater soil temperature buffer against extreme temperatures. Agrivoltaics on agricultural areas with carbon debt can be an effective climate mitigation strategy along with revitalizing agricultural soils, generating income streams from fallow land, and providing pollinator habitats. However, the benefits of vegetation cooling effects on electricity generation are rather site-specific and depend on the background climate and soil properties. Overall, our findings provide foundational data for site preservation along with targeting site-specific co-benefits, and for developing climate resilient and resource conserving agrivoltaic systems.

Sponsored by Rutgers Department of Environmental Sciences . More information here.

Speaker: Sujith Ravi, Temple University

Location: ENR, Room 223 or Zoom (Passcode: 127867)