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Agrivoltaics provide mutual benefits across the food–energy–water nexus in drylands

Author

Listed:
  • Greg A. Barron-Gafford

    (University of Arizona
    University of Arizona)

  • Mitchell A. Pavao-Zuckerman

    (University of Maryland)

  • Rebecca L. Minor

    (University of Arizona
    University of Arizona)

  • Leland F. Sutter

    (University of Arizona
    University of Arizona)

  • Isaiah Barnett-Moreno

    (University of Arizona
    University of Arizona)

  • Daniel T. Blackett

    (University of Arizona
    University of Arizona)

  • Moses Thompson

    (University of Arizona
    Tucson Unified School District)

  • Kirk Dimond

    (University of Arizona)

  • Andrea K. Gerlak

    (University of Arizona)

  • Gary P. Nabhan

    (University of Arizona)

  • Jordan E. Macknick

    (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Abstract

The vulnerabilities of our food, energy and water systems to projected climatic change make building resilience in renewable energy and food production a fundamental challenge. We investigate a novel approach to solve this problem by creating a hybrid of colocated agriculture and solar photovoltaic (PV) infrastructure. We take an integrative approach—monitoring microclimatic conditions, PV panel temperature, soil moisture and irrigation water use, plant ecophysiological function and plant biomass production within this ‘agrivoltaics’ ecosystem and in traditional PV installations and agricultural settings to quantify trade-offs. We find that shading by the PV panels provides multiple additive and synergistic benefits, including reduced plant drought stress, greater food production and reduced PV panel heat stress. The results presented here provide a foundation and motivation for future explorations towards the resilience of food and energy systems under the future projected increased environmental stress involving heat and drought.

Suggested Citation

  • Greg A. Barron-Gafford & Mitchell A. Pavao-Zuckerman & Rebecca L. Minor & Leland F. Sutter & Isaiah Barnett-Moreno & Daniel T. Blackett & Moses Thompson & Kirk Dimond & Andrea K. Gerlak & Gary P. Nabh, 2019. "Agrivoltaics provide mutual benefits across the food–energy–water nexus in drylands," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 2(9), pages 848-855, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:2:y:2019:i:9:d:10.1038_s41893-019-0364-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-019-0364-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Trommsdorff, Max & Hopf, Michaela & Hörnle, Oliver & Berwind, Matthew & Schindele, Stephan & Wydra, Kerstin, 2023. "Can synergies in agriculture through an integration of solar energy reduce the cost of agrivoltaics? An economic analysis in apple farming," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 350(C).
    2. Williams, Henry J. & Hashad, Khaled & Wang, Haomiao & Max Zhang, K., 2023. "The potential for agrivoltaics to enhance solar farm cooling," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 332(C).
    3. Bhattarai, Utsav & Maraseni, Tek & Apan, Armando & Devkota, Laxmi Prasad, 2023. "Rationalizing donations and subsidies: Energy ecosystem development for sustainable renewable energy transition in Nepal," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    4. Lu, Bin & Blakers, Andrew & Stocks, Matthew & Do, Thang Nam, 2021. "Low-cost, low-emission 100% renewable electricity in Southeast Asia supported by pumped hydro storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C).
    5. Sobratee-Fajurally, N. & Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe, 2022. "Inclusive sustainable landscape management in West and Central Africa: enabling co-designing contexts for systemic sensibility," IWMI Books, Reports H051652, International Water Management Institute.
    6. Gonocruz, Ruth Anne Tanlioco & Yoshida, Yoshikuni & Ozawa, Akito & Aguirre, Rodolfo A. & Maguindayao, Edward Joseph H., 2023. "Impacts of agrivoltaics in rural electrification and decarbonization in the Philippines," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 350(C).
    7. Fernández-Solas, Álvaro & Fernández-Ocaña, Ana M. & Almonacid, Florencia & Fernández, Eduardo F., 2023. "Potential of agrivoltaics systems into olive groves in the Mediterranean region," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 352(C).
    8. Angelos Alamanos & Phoebe Koundouri & Tatiana Pliakou & Eleni Toli & Lydia Papadaki, 2022. "Project summary, analysis of results and proposals - Final Report. Deliverable of the Project of the Athenian Brewery 'Water For Tomorrow'," DEOS Working Papers 2223, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    9. Safat Dipta, Shahriyar & Schoenlaub, Jean & Habibur Rahaman, Md & Uddin, Ashraf, 2022. "Estimating the potential for semitransparent organic solar cells in agrophotovoltaic greenhouses," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 328(C).
    10. Wang, Hsiao-Wen & Dodd, Adrienne & Ko, Yekang, 2022. "Resolving the conflict of greens: A GIS-based and participatory least-conflict siting framework for solar energy development in southwest Taiwan," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 879-892.
    11. Cheo, Ambe Emmanuel & Adelhardt, Nora & Krieger, Tim & Berneiser, Jessica & Sanchez Santillano, Federico Alberto & Bingwa, Brendon & Suleiman, Nischa & Thiele, Patricia & Royes, Alvaro & Gudopp, Danie, 2022. "Agrivoltaics across the water-energy-food-nexus in Africa: Opportunities and challenges for rural communities in Mali," Discussion Paper Series 2022-03, University of Freiburg, Wilfried Guth Endowed Chair for Constitutional Political Economy and Competition Policy.
    12. Madhu Khanna & Ruiqing Miao, 2022. "Inducing the adoption of emerging technologies for sustainable intensification of food and renewable energy production: insights from applied economics," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 66(1), pages 1-23, January.
    13. Seven Ağır & Pınar Derin Güre & Bilge Şentürk, 2023. "AgroPV’s Potential Opportunities and Challenges In A Mediterranean Developing Country Setting: A Farmer’s Perspectivetolia," ERC Working Papers 2301, ERC - Economic Research Center, Middle East Technical University, revised Feb 2023.
    14. Jing, Rui & Liu, Jiahui & Zhang, Haoran & Zhong, Fenglin & Liu, Yupeng & Lin, Jianyi, 2022. "Unlock the hidden potential of urban rooftop agrivoltaics energy-food-nexus," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    15. Zainali, Sebastian & Ma Lu, Silvia & Stridh, Bengt & Avelin, Anders & Amaducci, Stefano & Colauzzi, Michele & Campana, Pietro Elia, 2023. "Direct and diffuse shading factors modelling for the most representative agrivoltaic system layouts," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 339(C).
    16. Fernández, Eduardo F. & Villar-Fernández, Antonio & Montes-Romero, Jesús & Ruiz-Torres, Laura & Rodrigo, Pedro M. & Manzaneda, Antonio J. & Almonacid, Florencia, 2022. "Global energy assessment of the potential of photovoltaics for greenhouse farming," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 309(C).
    17. Taylor, M. & Pettit, J. & Sekiyama, T. & Sokołowski, M.M., 2023. "Justice-driven agrivoltaics: Facilitating agrivoltaics embedded in energy justice," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    18. Agir, Seven & Derin-Gure, Pinar & Senturk, Bilge, 2023. "Farmers’ perspectives on challenges and opportunities of agrivoltaics in Turkiye: An institutional perspective," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 35-49.
    19. Tahir, Zamen & Butt, Nauman Zafar, 2022. "Implications of spatial-temporal shading in agrivoltaics under fixed tilt & tracking bifacial photovoltaic panels," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 167-176.
    20. Sojib Ahmed, M. & Rezwan Khan, M. & Haque, Anisul & Ryyan Khan, M., 2022. "Agrivoltaics analysis in a techno-economic framework: Understanding why agrivoltaics on rice will always be profitable," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 323(C).
    21. Edouard, Sylvain & Combes, Didier & Van Iseghem, Mike & Ng Wing Tin, Marion & Escobar-Gutiérrez, Abraham J., 2023. "Increasing land productivity with agriphotovoltaics: Application to an alfalfa field," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 329(C).
    22. Sirnik, I. & Sluijsmans, J. & Oudes, D. & Stremke, S., 2023. "Circularity and landscape experience of agrivoltaics: A systematic review of literature and built systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    23. Choi, Chong Seok & Ravi, Sujith & Siregar, Iskandar Z. & Dwiyanti, Fifi Gus & Macknick, Jordan & Elchinger, Michael & Davatzes, Nicholas C., 2021. "Combined land use of solar infrastructure and agriculture for socioeconomic and environmental co-benefits in the tropics," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).

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