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Agrivoltaics expands as solar firms pursue dual-use farmland
The approach aims to address pushback against solar on arable land by keeping farming practices active while producing electricity.
Energy companies are increasingly turning to agrivoltaics, also known as agrophotovoltaics or agri-PV, which combines solar generation with continued agricultural use of the same land, OilPrice reports.
The article notes that a key criticism of conventional solar farms is that panel installations on arable land can limit land use for other purposes. Agrivoltaics is positioned as a potential solution, because solar panels can be installed above or around crop production so farming may continue alongside power generation.
OilPrice also highlights that solar projects have often been developed on arid, nonarable land that might not otherwise see development, but solar cell performance can be better in humid conditions than in dry ones. At the same time, developing on arable land has faced political opposition and public criticism, and the article says not-in-my-backyard opposition remains a deterrent to new solar development.
By using agricultural land that is already developed for farming, the piece argues agrivoltaics can allow clean energy production while potentially appeasing critics, as clean energy companies invest in scaling these dual-use sites.