Solar Panels Plus Farming? Agrivoltaics Explained
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- čas přidán 30. 04. 2024
- Solar panels plus farming? Agrivoltaics explained. Could combining solar panels plus farming be a viable solution to the growing demand for food production and energy demand? Let’s take a closer look at electrifying our crops (not literally electrifying crops) … well, adding solar to our farm land as well as some of the side benefits and challenges it creates.
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But what do you think? Should we be trying to use agrivoltaics everywhere? Are there any other dual use renewable energy examples that you know about? If you liked this video, be sure to check out 28,000 Year Nuclear Waste Battery? Diamond Batteries Explained czcams.com/video/VWwKqSzakYU/video.html
These communities that are pushing not-in-my-backyard issue are lucky they have word in edgewise because in Native communities and in minority communities when they put chemical plants in those communities they do not have the ability to say no.
I still want to see kinetic energy capture used as borders along farms and in high-wind zones...
To Rob the writer,
The water use statistic 0:13 for the livestock is a bit disingenuous, for example most of the water that the livestock drink does double duty since it also irrigates the grass grazing land (which IMPORTANTLY is usually low quality land Not suitable for crop production in the first place)
I'm wondering if it would be more cost effective to have a solar-powered-multi-level-vertical-hydroponic-farm-warehouse built on the same land rather than an agrovoltaic? What's the most amount of food that can be grown, harvested, and shipped for the least/most efficient amount of energy in 1 square meter? (Big brain time. Lol.) Cheers!
Add electric tractors, farmers could eventually cut the cord to big oil.
As a Dutch Greenhouse Manufacturing Engineer I can already tell you that we calculate the steel constructions with the posibility to directly or later install solar panels. This means that when the end customer wants to place solar panels he can do so without any repurcussions from the local governments as the building permit and the construction calculations are already in place for any eventual agrivoltaic farming. But your story has enlightened me in a few more ways so thank you for that!
amazing can i have some of those design layouts i want to pilot this on our small land
great
Does your company have a website?
Thanks for the good news (news for me, not news for the Dutch). Big players on the food market will drive this development.
Here in Germany the NIMBY mentality is a big problem and I doubt that forward-looking engineering like this would have any chance for approval by decision makers.
The video is incredibly well done. Channel subscribed.
Germany needs to fucking learn from the Dutch. Ampeln...agriculture...bike lanes.
Sunny California with it's water shortages comes to mind for this. Saving 50% water costs, adding income from power generation and maintaining same yield - a win-win.
If Americans will do these things then who will bomb countries and bring peace.
I’ve seen California crops under plastic tents. We should try replacing some of this with solar panels. California’s desire to promote solar power should be compatible with this.
Yeah
yes, and there's also the opportunity to tailor the solar panels to light frequencies that plants don't prefer. With semi-transparent panels allowing the light through that plants like the most, we can make up the energy production shortfall caused by currently being forced to space the panels out (like on the raspberry farm).
@@pradeepkharta5953 That, sir, is an important question that the psychopathic corporations, who make trillions from wars, would prefer people to ignore.
To me agrivoltaics seems to be most effective in smaller operations where heavy machinery isn't used. The raspberry farm was a perfect example of that. Basically if it grows in a plastic tunnel and it's harvested by hand, agrivoltaics will probably be perfect.
clearly you have never seen a commercial Raspberry Farm
wonder how much those strawberries will cost adding the cost of the solar pannels to the price :)
You can just put the solar panels on wheels like they already do with watering equipment probably
@@mcsanad That depends on who owns the solar panels. If they are owned externally then it probably wont affect it at all. If the farmer owns them, it possibly could, but then the higher guarantee on yield means less waste, the shade means less water usage and the electricity needed by the farmer would come from the panels and not the inflated grid prices. So it could offset the installation costs.
@@Ben.Royals well from my point of view planting strawberries on fertile land under solar panels might be a great source of power but the money you lose out on by not planting crops is really unequal. If, the panels are owned by the same person that manages and sells the strawberries and they'd like to cover the cost of the panel, it'd either take them multiple lifetimes to get the price back or to sell the strawberries at a super high price. This idea was obviously made by someone who has never done agricultural planning or work.
Instead, putting solar panels on your rooftop, perhaps vehicle hangar or even a barn covers around the same area if not more. This way the farmer is independent from the grid and had more land to cultivate with and make bigger profits than he ever could with measly strawberries. Oh and I forgot to mention, this way the price of bread and other products that come from agriculture won't rise so you get to buy your daily bread for an alright price instead of buying strawberries with sky high prices.
I say this is the best possible use, not wasting any fertile land and still getting their own power :)
I have a home garden/homestead in the desert and I'm constantly having to use shade cloth to protect my crops. Even sun loving crops like peppers can get burnt to a crisp if it gets particularly hot and bright. I'm legit considering trying to slap together a home setup like this.
love you 😘
Why grow a garden in the desert, the fresh water costs are high, a resource we are fast running out of.
That is SO exciting! You posted this 3 months ago. I hope you'll update us on your progress. I'm about to move f/desert, where we've been getting 11"rain/year, to a one acre, unimproved homestead that gets 56"/year. I hope to slowly put in a no-dig, permaculture garden system. Although water will not be a problem, I think the challenges of excess sun and affordable energy are problematic everywhere.
@@HeloisGevit yeah no , just nuke us already
@@HeloisGevit More than one billion people on Earth live in deserts. In addition, many grasslands and even forests are desertifying due to extreme drought and intensifying heat. There are many food producing plants that are heat and drought tolerant, so we can grow food locally in arid climates but we still need to adapt to environmental factors in the way we grow food. I live in the Sonoran Desert. I have a food forest in my backyard. In addition to improving the soil and cleaning the air, it adds moisture to the air and keeps the temperature lower in summer and higher in winter. With ground-level irrigation I use less water to keep everything going than the neighbors who have no plants at all but wash cars, let the kids play with the hose, or have a pool. My water bill is lower and yet I have groceries growing year round. Growing in the desert improves the local environment, provides nutritious local food, and encourages more rainfall.
In India, we do something like this by placing solar panels at the top of canals. Because there are lots of canals in India. The extra benefit is solar panels reduce the loss of water due to evaporation providing extra for agriculture. The shade also prevents the growth of algae in the water. And the presence of water underneath keeps the panels cool.
500 iq
Awesome. Thats a fantastic play.
Started this already in some parts of Rajasthan n Haryana
Solar canals! Nice. I thought UC Merced was the only group leading the idea of solar canals.
Yup India is rapidly increasing the use of solar which is a good thing.
Yes we should, I’m trying to learn as much as I can about it to try it on my farm.
Let us know how it goes! 🤙
@@KLRJUNE As we say to soldiers, Thank you for your service.
Best of luck... remember you have to compromise (optimize...???) between food and energy production .. depending upon where/what you farm and Solar Generation...If "up north" maybe a fully enclosed AV System could/would provide 12 month growing season in a Greenhouse like environment... and remember as you "grow solar electricity" too you can provide heating too (use heat pumps that have a COP of 4+ ... COP=HeatOut/Heat In)..
Farmers in Georgia are now growing cash crops that in the past would just burn up, but with the mix of daily sun and shade they are growing crops with a higher cash value than just peanuts and onions.
@Angie Mead King I hope someday, I can visit your farm. Nag-aaral ako dito sa Canada para maging mas efficient at responsible farmer sa atin. I love what you're doing there. Ingat! :)
Sometimes I wonder what the world would have looked like without innovations like this😊, my advice for everyone, both in the agricultural industry and elsewhere, is to evolve with the world in others so as not to to be left behind
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There are also new solar panels that allow the wave lengths that plants need to go mostly through the panel. This would be ideal for greenhouses as they already have the metal frames.
Hey, late question to your comment, but do you know the company that is creating this product?
I wish that instead of the "car broiler" top deck on parking decks in urban areas, the top deck would be covered with solar panel for shading cars & people, as well as generating electricity. This could be beneficial for powering more charging stations in the deck.
That's really a no-brainer... makes total sense
Yep and all supermarket and airport carparks, car hire lots etc
That could also free up space on the bottom floors by getting all the people who want to charge their cars straight up to the top.
I've been thinking about canopies above parking lots for some time - not just the car broiler either. Think about the acres of parking in front of the grocery store - what if it were covered with solar canopies? Grocery stores use a ton of electricity for the HVAC and refrigeration units, even if they never generated enough to sell to the grid, they could radically offset their own load.
@@leifhietala8074 The issue is the support pylons. If the structure isn't self supporting then the poles discourage people (especially with trucks) from shopping there. Those panels and mounting are HEAVY. Notice in this video they optimized for tractors in one direction only.
One local grocery with underground parking has a LOT of spaces with concrete pylons where doors open. I would say about half of the parking spaces are comfortable to use for most drivers.
(it is a 12 story apartment building on top of that structure) The apartment parking is in the pedestal so far less "support" needed.
Glad to see a SMART application of solar on land that does not waste the land underneath. The shade the panels produce should be optimized. Parking lots, the building underneath in hot climates
New technology for electric power generationczcams.com/video/xc2V2BS_Fng/video.html
Most grocery stores here in Phoenix AZ have them over the parking lot....
@@Slebonson Smart
I think it's possible to make strings of solar diodes instead of light blocking panels.
@@Slebonson Been to Disneyland (Paris) a few weeks ago they where doing the same to their parking lot near the main gate (was still in the early stages of construction tho)
Although I did not know the concept existed I imagined it and went searching for just this idea. I searched ‘can you grow under solar panels?’ and was VERY PLEASED to find this video on agrivoltaics!!!! Thank you for this beautifully explained video. We are building a home in Jamaica and I was saddened by the builder’s plan to create a solar park which would use up so much of the precious land space (a slope that has to be terraced) that I had plans to create garden spaces. I wish you were closer to Jamaica so I could actually see the agrivoltaics in person. Thanks again for this video!
In Pakistan, we have a project underway to put floating solar panels over water dams. Makes the surface area usable, reduces water evaporation and helps keep the panels cool and I don't know the technical details but somehow it also helps improve the efficiency of panels too (in terms of generating energy per unit).
They're producing more because they're double sided (water refletion) and the cooling also helps
@@mihailblues200
Solar panel efficiency is higher at cooler temperatures. That’s just how the silicon works.
There is another potential winner in this scenario - the farmworker who is less exposed to heat stress and the elements in general. Has there been any work looking at health benefits to workers?
This is a great benefit as he spends all the day / week in the field
That’s a really good point that should be factored in as well!
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It was actually mentioned in the video.
The video is nice and I think is a good solution for urban farming. But working with less heat stress the best option is agroforesty. We could simply imitate the ecological succession by planting food while we're building up a forest and recovering the ecosystem. Look up for agroforesty videos, such as Ernst Götsch projects. Nature's still the best techology avaliable. Sorry for my bad english
Fish pond covered with a PV installation. PV panels shade the water, reduce evaporation and keep the water cool, while the remaining water evaporation cools the PV panels.
Sounds eFISHient.
@@someotherdude now that's a GOOD ONE!! XD
not only fish ponds, but open water storage resevoirs
Floating solar is more expensive to clean and more prone to bird 💩
It's easier to let sheep graze under the panels
Matt, what I love about all your videos, especially ones that discuss the contentious space, it's your willingness to put forward the pro and con argument, all in the same segment.
The contest of ideas and the debate in the discussion, is the only thing that will move us forward as a civilisation and society.
Thank you for the videos mate 👍
I saw this a few years back at the Biodome in Arizona as a study, it help ed keep temperatures way lower for the plants in arizona's aggressive heat, and helped growth all around.
I've been interested in Agrivoltaics for the past 2 years and I still learned new things from your video. Thank you Matt! Another excellent video!
Great to hear!
@@UndecidedMF I'm glad to see you're helping promote the Just have a think guy, the more good quality information that gets out there the better off we're all are.😁
New technology for electric power generationczcams.com/video/xc2V2BS_Fng/video.html
To understand why this concept isn't currently viable you need to understand how these projects are financed.
@@mrbwadding
Unfortunately ...
Lots of debates on the how to about what's supposed to become green barrier project in Sahel ... but promised funds never been released ...
Last brand new solar plant in Marocco stand quite the same batch process they use in AZ .
Photovoltaic nd mirror heating molden salt steam generators ...
Sure, as looking further close in or deeper in ...
I personally greatly appreciate what's the use "politics" in foreign countries ...
Way more how France is preparing landmark for German in Sahel ...
Not talking yet Dutch tech ...
Thru ports n navigation .
They got that bad habits always making things easier n then so brighter ...
The irony stand it could be developed thru petrol revenue as a conversion which would be the most plausible development ...
It also means what will be grown won't be necessarily that good for health as food ...
Can't get it all at first starting in the deserts ...
There might be an economical turmoil but there is no doubt that this is still the best time to invest.
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Tamara Diane is a scammer. Lost me $90k, hasn't responded to calls, and is a total fraud (much like the bots that started this comment thread).
As an employee of a company that operates of some of GroenLeven's solar park portfolio, seeing a pilot project of theirs so close to home featured in this video was a very pleasant surprise! For anyone who wants to know, there are currently more Dutch shade-crop farmers installing solar on top of their greenhouses (not as a pilot, but as actual revenue generating projects). Driving through the vast greenhouse landscape north of Amsterdam and The Hague you can see many of these popping up, great development to see :)
This doesn't surprise me to be honest. With the dutch farmers fighting for their land and Russia cutting off oil, they definitely need a little bit more self-sustainability/cost mitigation.
Hello Matt, now that I'm retired, my plan is to give hydroponic farming a try. I was concerned about the world getting hotter. In NJ the past summer was unbearable.
I love the thought of combining these 2 products. It is a win-win for everyone.
Last week, I went to a farm. I saw that they used grape vines over a chicken coup. They said that this was a win-win for the past few years. Why buy chicken waste !
I found this fascinating .
Keep up the great work !
Matt, it seems like, with some research, this could be a win-win for both energy and crop production. I saw somewhere that people were installing solar panels over canals. The panels reduced evaporation of the canal water, and kept the underside of the panels cooler, increasing efficiency.
Heard of that in India.
Do you mean irrigation channels? How could barges use such canals? are the panels very high over the canals to allow boat traffic?
@@nct948 I suppose sailing boats (with masts) wouldn't use the canals, so the panel are mounted maybe 2-3 meters above the banks, to clear the boats. I guess they figure this out before they build them ! Maybe what I saw was actually irrigation channels (rather than navigable channels).
They should do that here in az over the aquaducts. Would be perfect to minimize evaporation and generate power. No boats of any kind are allowed in the aquaduct anyway. Perfect solution.
Veritasium did a video about a California water supply putting plastic balls into their reservoir, I imagine putting solar panels over it instead could actually do quite a bit of work out there. Providing energy for the area, preventing birds from getting near it (he explains why it's an issue in the video) and reducing evaporation would actually save them loads of money in regards to water. Though, I'm sure the repairs and installation likely wouldn't be as cheap as building this same system over land, since they'd need to put supports in the middle of the water.
Helped conduct research at the University of Arizona on agrovoltaics! All of the crops under solar panels produced significantly more, because of the reduced heat stress. The greatest difference was the tomatoes, as the control group in the sun didn't fruit at all so the percentage increase in yield was a problematic way to summarize the results as we were dividing by 0.
Then it was not properly designed experiment. No one in that climate would try to grow tomatoes without shade cloth.
Sheesh
@@Matt-dc8lp solar panels maybe replace shade cloth? and I don't think Matt really provided enough details on the design of the experiment for you to dismiss it without asking for more clarification
Yeah reduced heat stress as in direct sunlight, other wise the covering panels gather and radiate heat into the atmosphere adding to the heat island effect. Less CO2 produced maybe but definitely heating the local atmosphere. Doesn't CO2 do that already?
Why dont they use mirror to reflect sunlight for crops from sides... Dont say they cant lol.. 😂
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This can absolutely be tapped into. A very good opportunity for both developed and developing countries. In addition to the point of solar production, wouldn't dry and arid regions with a higher rate and concentration of sun solve this issue? I understand that there is more space in between the panel sheets; although using mono-crystalline panels might keep that production at normal levels.
Several decades ago some articles were written about the potential benefits of putting farming equipment on rails in order to not compact the earth under the wheels. At the time I recall the major advantage as being reducing the energy consumption of the equipment while working the soil. Guiding the equipment through the rows between the solar arrays effectively achieves this goal. Furthermore, the structures could provide attachments for a hot shoe or catenary power takeoff to power electric equipment without the need for large battery packs. I believe fuel is a significant cost for farmers. Reducing the energy cost to the farmer could be further justification.
Yeah, powering the machinery itself would be ideal, and selling off the surplus as a bonus.
@@UncleKennysPlace There is nothing to stop farmers doing this in any field. It's just not cost effective
Agree. APV gets even more interesting when you further utilize the overhead structure to distribute power allowing the farm implements to be electrified. As we move towards decarbonization, fossil fuel use in industries like agriculture will need these solutions!!
@@daubentons1 I think you are well on to it- the original poster had no budget to pay for the rails, cross ties, maintenance- or the connector rails needed to get from one field to another. Same thoughts occur to me for farm equipment powered by direct take of from the overhead PV grids. But good thoughts to start from! FR
Over the long run it probably is better. But there seems to be significant initial cost that would keep anyone from doing that without federal assistance.
Finally a way to have a solar farm without loosing the land needed for agriculture.
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Car parks seem like a good place too
Smart roads,smart houses, traffic reducing facilities can make next level of progression.
@@hanumancommando9217 solar fricking roadways!
@@BrutusAlbion no
This sort of farming would be greatly beneficial here in Australia where water can be a little scarce at times. Storms come through (hail) and wipe out large area's of fruit.. Grapes, pumpkin, corn, etc etc. Having this type of set up would help protect the plants whilst having other benefits. Water reduction, power production etc.. Fantastic idea.
Well done and very informative video, thank you Matt! I could imagine using the same effects for a lot of other large open areas, like parking lots, highways, tree nurseries, maybe even parks, playgrounds, sports grounds etc. All of those areas could use same shade n the summer and protection of the elements. Especially in hot and arid regions, the solar roofs could help collect rainwater and over parking lots the sun-generated electricity could power charging stations for EV's parking there.
the fact that you promoted the other video by "Just have a think", a competitor, shows that you really care about getting the word out! Plus, your whole manner of presentation shows that you really value and enjoy the service you are providing. If only more people could find their calling like you have ! Thanks, you are inspiring.
That earned a subscription. ❤️
That's when I pushed the "Like" button. The video was good too, but still...
I love the model of sheep grazing combined with solar panels; I think it could work extremely well with the rotational grazing model: a strip or block of panels will define the boundaries of each paddock in the rotation. It would be important to seed the right kind of forage on the soil under and between the panels, with plenty of legumes like trefoil in the mix. The panels themselves would provide much-needed shade. Ideally, the would supply power to electric perimeter fencing, to keep predators out.
The only problem i see with goats and sheep is that they love to climb and jump. One hop onto a solar panel and bam, destroyed.
@@MsPoliteRants sheep are fine, goats would definitely ruin the panels!
@@MsPoliteRants Panels are hardier than you might think. Goats might be a problem but sheep are not THAT destructive.
SoCal is a perfect location. This year for the first time I'm getting electricity credits while running AC whole day long. Thanks to solar panels installed last fall. The fact that LA didn't experience any power outages this year while temperatures hit all time records is a proof of solar panels benefit to the community in general. I will be super excited to see the synergy examples between agriculture and renewable energy production
This seems important. For me the measure is the production of two hectares of agrovoltaics, compared with 1ha of traditional agriculture and 1ha of normal photovoltaics. I like the idea that panels can produce electricity and at the same time produce useful shade.
I can imagine Agrivoltaics making big strides in the future. I feel like right now it's just in its starting phases like many other green energy production ideas, but maybe once more research has been done and the benefits of using agrivoltaics is better demonstrated and documented, it can really take off.
They should do this at abandoned shopping malls, as well. They have acres of parking lots baking in the sun. You could even put the solar panels on raised frames and park the cars underneath them.
Great idea, nobody wants their car to become baking hot in the sun anyway
@@nocensorship8092 this is done on the parking of disneyland paris
You are genius
I expect we’ll see a lot of parking lots covered in solar panels. It makes a ton of sense.
I really like this idea. So many home gardeners in Texas with a month of 100+ temps and humidity below 30% lost their gardens, or had poor harvesting, except for those providing 30-50% shade cloth over the garden area. I use natural shade for my garden, which gets about 5 hours direct sunlight, and it does great every year. Do have one video showing it. Natural shading for part of a day, if one has it to east and west sides, can make gardening a lot easier, otherwise current practice is buying shade cloth.
We had a very similar experience this summer especially dry as it was. Our biomass is getting so thick in some areas that it kept the soil from totally dehydrating in places which was a pleasant surprise. Good to hear a fellow Texan's take on it. Carpe Diem!
Bi-facial panels mounted vertically on stilts.. Thank you very much for the idea.. We are embarking on a project integrating solar farm with existing aquaculture. We thought the runaway commodity price has torpedoed our dream.. Once again, thank you very very very very much
I have the hobby to recommend sci-youtuber to science-fans.
I'm often called random or even robot for that, but whatever. I keep going for those few
that say 'Yes thanks'.
Vertical bi-facial panels are not very wind-resistant... Please, keep that in mind.
As a homestead and hobby farm, this video is great information for us to branch out. Thanks for your dedication on bringing info to the hungry masses.
Loved your presentation and explanation of Agrivoltaics. Wow....how I wish I owned land, positive and progressive solutions to current behaviors that have unlimited benefits now and in the future.
Start with five gallion buckets you will be blessed!
This is the first time I saw your videos and I really like it . IT is clear that it is take much of time to make them by this quality . keep going man !
More use cases
1. Solar panel over Parking lots
2. Solar panel over Fish tanks, aquaculture
3. Solar panel over agriculture water canals
4. Solar panels over the hydroponic, aquaponic, or aeroponic farm. Use of grow lights may be needed.
5. Solar panel over cattle shelters
6. Solar panel over building structures
As an agrivoltaics developer I very much appreciate this content. Super high quality video. Thanks!
Thanks for letting us know about this concept. Seems like a great idea.
This concept should be tested in rural areas especially in places with hot climates. And if this succeeds, then it should be implemented in different areas.
If This concept is used effectively(Identifying suitable Crops wrt to that area), then it will resolve the energy problem of that particular rural area and result in increasing income levels of people of those areas. (Self sustaining concept)
For more than a year I have had this idea of combining a track that circles in time with solar movement (similar to circlular sprinklers of industrial farms) with fish/plant hydroponics below them slightly offset. Still requires lots of maths that I am too time crunched to do, and it wouldn't necessarily "make" extra electricity. But my dream is for them to be single kits that can be air dropped into extreme rural areas.
Where they make enough electricity to maintain all of the fish and plant needs; along with the energy to move the rotating solar panels.
A triple combo solar, vegetation and fish farming operation that doesn't need anything beyond water and maintenance.
Go ahead and take the idea, I won't ever get around to designing or patenting it. I only ask that you actually try and make the airdrop thing a thing, too.
-Your Friendly Neighborhood Druid
No idea wtf youre saying but it sounds awesome 🤠🏏
Well this is my PhD thesis at Purdue University! Thanks for bringing the awareness
All the best.
Please do share idea so I m implement in my farm
What are best cash crops which can be grown below solar panels with ease
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Can I read it?
This is just the video upload that I needed. I have a roof top garden, and I was looking for space to install a solar plant for my house. Your video has given me a totally new perspective. Now my mind has started working.
This is so great what you can do with the PV. I work as a climate change person for a community. They want to build a PV plant soon.
After what I have seen I'd highly adovocate this. Maybe local farmers can be motivated to do engage in PV-agriculture.
But in Germany they also want to put PV on bogs. Since they are so rare in our anthropocene I would loathe using bogs for PV.
Great project, I hope that some day most of farms will dual use of land, I have 5 acers of land at my home country (Jordan) and you gave me a great idea, thank you
This is something I've been thinking a lot about recently. Really love the concept. It turns something which is a liability and turns it into an asset.
I love how you wrapped up your thoughts on PV Farming at the end. Really well put on all the challenges faced. Also, Just Have A Think is such a good channel for Climate issues. This may be my favorite episode from you yet Matt!
So glad to hear that! Just Have A Think is a fantastic channel.
It's not farming idiots it's a scam morons they take your property to fill with Soler shit and there goes are live stock
@@ZR117 I disagree. Do you have any evidence to back your claims?
This is a brilliant initiative. If governments subsidise solar panels used for agrivoltaics it could provide incredible benefits as a way to use agriculture and energy production from the same limited space, and farmers can clearly benefit from allowing agrivoltaics if they match specific crops to their solar panel use and local environment. With land for agriculture being so in need, this could really solve two issues at once.
Furthermore, with our climate getting hotter, solar panels could be used strategically (placed very high up) to shade and conserve water use by trees or even parts of forests. With wide and sturdy poles, they could also be used to shade these large grazing animals too. There are some great applications here.
One thing rarely mentioned is that not only can plants get light saturated, PVs can convert 10x-20x the received light. If the plants are then saturated by chlorophyll-optimized LED grow lamps, the PV density could be raised to the same as a normal solar farm.
The reduced water usage also reduces the amount of nitrate fertilizer needed, as less gets washed away by irrigation.
I work at a CAFO that is less than a 1/4 mile from a electric transmission line. I think it would be a win win to install solar above the pens. It would make some shade for the cattle, and maybe offset our methane production somewhat. The cattle currently suffer during the summer with zero shade. Solar panels above the feedlot pens would give a duel use to the same area of land without any sacrifice.
Cattle produce more methane because they are fed corn, and do not eat grass, their natural food.
The companies that build these projects want nothing but the best yielding crop ground. It’s the easiest and fastest way for them to build them. They get the added benefit of putting more panels in one place so the power stays utility owned.
@@kitemanmusic That is true, the cattle that would be potentially shaded by solar panels are still going to be fed a diet of corn though and fart out lots of methane, so they might as well have a little bit better life, at least in the summertime.
Nice presentation! I can think of many high-value crops that could be grown this way - Strawberries, blueberries, asparagus, blackberries, table grapes (the equipment to harvest wine grapes is BIG, probably wouldn't work well), celery, broccoli, cauliflower. In my area (Upstate NY - Finger lakes area) we use very little irrigation and have many overcast days, so no great savings on irrigation water and probably reduced power generation from solar panels on many days. The break even point on this plan would be to produce enough income from power generation to negate the loss of income from farming activities PLUS the cost of hardware installation PLUS the maintenance costs. I'm sure that with the projected growth of electric cars over the next few years we will need expanded power generation everywhere, and the cost of electricity will increase with demand. I would love to see a pilot project in this area to determine the feasibility of this system. Of course any income generated from solar panels on dedicated farm land would have to be considered as farm income.
great presentation. I have been working yard scale pv projects using solar generated power. watching your video has given me new ideas
This looks like an idea that would be practical in my back garden on a very small scale, to shade my vegetables and as a sun shade over the park bench with a pergola for better shade and to run some outdoor lighting and a fan, I don’t know if that number of panels would be enough to run the fridge and freezer in a power outage or if it would be ideal with the snowfall we get here and the tornadoes that seem to go through town every couple years but it’s definitely worth looking into.
When it comes to future technologies this is without a doubt one of the most interesting and accessible channels on CZcams. Thanks for all your work and research Matt
The dual use aspect reminds me of trials with floating solar panels, over water reserves and canals with no transportation, to harvest energy and reduce evaporation in hot climates.
#HOOVERDAM , #LEAKMEAD
I watch your channel and 'Just have a think' religiously...they're both so good.
Great coverage. I designed farms like these over 8 years ago wish I had the capital to get plans off the ground.
Thankyou, it makes emminent sense. There are translucent solar panels that let through about 30% of incident light, similar to greenhouse glazing.
I think this is so important and impressive that it shouldn't matter if you have to make small sacrifices. It's especially easy if the farmer owns the solar panel or has a fixed interest rate. But even for the raspberry farmer who needed a weather shield anyway it is a benefit. I think a lot of time and thought should be put into the building of these but that they are so efficient for land use its actually crazy. Imagine doing this on city rooftop greenhouses on every building sturdy enough for it.
Matt I love your videos and I want to adopt some of these projects on the land that I’m buying. My passion is wildflowers in UK. I have created many wildflower community projects in Cheshire and I have never faced so many problems with local councils. So much in fact that I became a Gorilla gardener who did highly illegal activities such as scattering seeds and making the community nicer. This is highly frowned upon!!!
I'm very excited by Agrivoltaics .. I can think of several food crops here in north central California that could benefit from crop protection and the added revenue of the solar array.
This is absolutely fascinating! I know the focus is on large-scale farming and energy gathering. However, I can't help but wonder if this couldn't be even more beneficial if the scale was minimized to households, city gardens, and the developing world! Better and more efficient land use is always positive and would be fantastic in areas where the urban spread is problematic, there are "food desserts', or extreme impacts on land uses due to infrastructure development and expansion.
100% much more efficient to produce the energy (on the spot where it is needed), like you say minimized to household sizes, gardens etc. Obviously though "farms" aswell would be needed, but in the end of the day. Basically any and every househould should become self sufficient more or less with solar & storage. It should really become mandatory for housing etc to include solar already at design stage for maximum output and clean design integrations.
For an example we can already start making our whole housing walls etc in solar tiles. and that is just 1 single tiny part of the story.
Well done for this video. In France, experiments are being carried out but mentalities and regulatory brakes exist as in your country. Yet the advantages that you describe do exist. Plus one that can make a difference, freeze protection. Our wine production was severely impacted this winter. Except on the test plot in the south-east of France ...
Some hail protection would occur too - though, of course, the panels themselves should be able to endure it too
YES! I'm so glad to hear the NIMBY affect acknowledged for what it is, even if it's a pain in the ass to deal with for at home agriculture efforts as it is.
Hello! Thank you for the very interesting video. I think such a system would be very beneficial for those farmers who live in third world countries, such as mine, the Philippines. My country has two distinct seasons, mainly the dry and the wet seasons. Such a system would benefit farming areas who still farm crops during the dry season, and with the energy crisis, would still produce energy for the neighboring villages.
We should use the right tools for the result we are looking to obtain. In this case study, it was a better crop yield and lower operational cost to the farm on top of generating some energy where it would have generated none before. This model may not fit everything so it doesn't have to be used everywhere. It should be used where it makes sense.
That said, I personally, think it's a great use of space to maximize its productivity.
Damned good video! I've been advocating and thinking about this since 1968! Our So. TX farm was often too dry to grow Maiz or grain. I advocated stringing solar panels on wire rope or steel cable to suspend the panels above the ground and allow the tractors to get to the ground. Less water evaporation and regulated solar exposure would maximize production. Plus eventually there would be electric tractors. But who is going to listen to a 14 yr old!
Well you're not 14 anymore.
@@shahbazfawbush LOL! Thanks for telling me! I'm 67 now and who wants to listen to crazy old men?!?
Agrivoltaics are an exciting concept if found to be doable. The future is now!
Will try this in my wife's hometown in Thailand could be a gamechanger for the community.
We live in the west Texas Desert. I have 36 solar panels shading my house and barn roof. Our garden has shade cloth with 50% shade. We reach temperatures of 115 in the summer. Even cotton crops(very heat tolerant) shut down every afternoon. I really see a use case here. We have huge solar farms here, but they are not environmentally responsible. They don't care. I've interviewed the managers.
I wish more of this community lived near me. I have always gone to the solar farms and gotten my panels from their stacks of panels with pinched wires or bad diodes. Take them home, fix them and free solar panels. I've done several hundred myself. Lower carbon footprint since the panels were going to a landfill anyway. Would love to help others do the same.
@@deelarry2137 teach me more?
@@deelarry2137 who gives you defective solar panels for free again? i would like his number...
@@Eyes0penNoFear ya, give me a call!
Yeah, CZcams definitely does not let me upload contact information
I love this system. We should definitely be doing it wherever and whenever possible. Governments need to give this the support it needs and chop through that red tape.
I have a 100 acre farm in rural Arkansas. I would love for one of these companies to build a demonstrator green house here to show the rest of the nation how useful and beneficial these systems are, not only for food production, but for powering communities, as well.
Tbh seeing what is happening with the electrification of farm equipment, just being able to run your farm equipment from parts of your field could be a huge plus.
Excellent video, Matt! I run a few subs on Reddit and have been sharing your vids over there. I also teach people how to install small off grid solar and build sustainable and affordable housing.
@solarcabin, how 'bout a link or two? :)
joe is right here, how about a link? :)
keep on sharing :)
Let's see those sub reddita
Link ?
Fascinating. I'm thinking of ground-mount solar for my home. I have a perfectly south-facing hillside in my large backyard. I'd like to expand my bit of terracing and to more gardening on the hillside. Since my electric use is pretty steady throughout the year, it'd be best to optimize the panels for winter production, which means production would be low in the summer, but close to matching winter production, so it's okay... no, that'd be perfect.
Because of winter optimization panels will be steeper than 45°. And of course to set the panels so lower rows don't shade the rows further up the hill, they'd need to be spaced apart. Like that berry farm in the video, I too have hail problems. So perhaps something like hardware cloth between the rows of panels could be a real crop saver. The increased expense will be only getting 2 posts from a 20-foot long steel pipe, rather than 4 (panels mounted high). And the extra cost of hardware cloth vs something cheaper like shade cloth (because I need more sun to pass through).
I have not terraced my hillside yet. I suspect I could optimize placement of the panels so in the summer they spend part of the day shading the stone walls of the terrace and not the crops. It could work. I'll have to do a bit of engineering.
Lovely.
The solar panels can also be used to collect condensate water or due that collects on them. This will be fresh water in most cases. The reduction to need for water in the arid regions is a far greater advantage. In inhospitable regions fodder crops can be grown in waste containers under the solar panels.
Wow! For the crops that benefit from the shade? No doubt. What an amazing concept.
I so appreciate this. Thank you. I wish California would consider agrivoltaics. It would save water we don't have enough, have too much of the sun, and the electricity we always run out of. Please keep up the good work.
It would be interesting if a solar panel could be made red to let through the light the plants mostly use and absorb the light they don't need.
good idea (understandably what's shown here is testing and proof of concept) rather than use traditional mass produced panels that would go on the roof of my house, they should create a bespoke/optimize panel for this use case. 6:40 - like the "strawberry panels" shown with more spacing for light transmission, i suspect somebody somewhere is working on what you propose for a 2nd/3rd phase test. the results so far seem promising and could be even more so with some "tweeks". #POTATOPANELS , #TOMATOPANELS
@@nateman10 I've seen a couple of videos about solar greenhouses. This can address a number of problems in certain areas in the U.S. and elsewhere. The desert is pretty miserable when thinking of growing anything. Solar powered greenhouses can do a lot, and that is to provide for the proper lighting via LEDs, recycle water and provide the proper temperature for growth. Winters can get quite cold, near and below freezing. These greenhouses can regulate the temp by letting light in and keeping cold out, and provide a great growing environment for winter crops. I see this use of solar with growing food as a much better alternative to just having solar farms that renders the land useless. This is a very positive step to take.
Solar panels can't pick just the green light which is not used by the plants. If red is absorbed, then green and blue are absorbed, too. (That's because photon energies for green and blue are higher than photon energy for red). This is true for silicon panels. Maybe there are other materials with different absorption properties, but these would be too expensive. As far as I know, currently there is no viable alternative to silicon.
Plants use red and blue light to grow leaves and flowers, respectively (iirc; I could have that reversed). Green light is the bandwidth they don't use, which is in part why so many plants appear green to us; it's the color of light reflected back out to our eyes by the primary type of chlorophyl.
That already exists. Search window see-through dolar glass windows.
This would be very useful for coffee, as it needs shade too. I know farmers normally plant bigger trees allong the coffee plants to generate shade, but these trees do not do anything else than produce shade. Solar panels would also generate electricity to power the farm at least, and surely more to sell and generate more income too.
great to see you giving dave borlach a shout- you two between
have pretty well got the whole field covered.
This system of programmable adjustable pvs is proving interesting for high value crops such as vines in top of the market wine areas of France. Given that in SW France we've already gained 1.4°C temperature, I expect to see more of these apvs installed over the next 5 years.
New technology for electric power generationczcams.com/video/xc2V2BS_Fng/video.html
i just gotta say i love you man, i dig every single one of your videos and its a pleasure to see you grow. Peace
Edited after watching video: and i forgot to say one of things i like is the way your present it: straight to the point, fitting a 45min documentary in a 15min format with the added je ne sait quoi and fun included. thanks, ill have some more of that!
Amazing!I would have thought for sure those two were grossly incompatible.
Now just find a way to open those to public when the ground is at rest ,or by adding narrow path near the solar pannel support, or adding a suspended bridge and you obtain a little green/solarpunk paradise.
most excellent video. I am doing my best to share these stories on linkedin with solar professionals who just seem to be clueless about vertical bifacial panels and agrivoltaics
That farm with the raspberries really nailed it
A great strategy for SOME types of farming! Use the bladeless wind generators for other.
I think it’s pretty cool that you can farm crops and also energy on same spot.. I’ve seen similar principles but in desert.. it could be solution for greening deserts 🌵
Great video. My family has some farm land and this solar/agriculture combination is very promising
Can’t believe I’m just now coming across this channel. Well done man 🤙
A very smart idea!
Another problem I think you missed would be how to connect these farms to the energy grid. It is unfortunately so that you cannot introduce a large amount of energy to a certain area of the grid if no-one will use it, or the grid is not sophisticated enough to handle the amount of electricity. Sadly, the electricity grid out in rural areas are often not well developed and this development introduces a further cost to the agrivoltaic system :(
I don't see that problem in Europe. Population density here is very high here and wind turbines are also popular so there is a way to integrate them into the grid, especially in Germany. In the US I could imagine it being to rural in some places but Texas also somehow found a way to integrate lots of wind turbines.
Excellent delivery Matt, great content, subscribed
I'd like to see this technology working up in Canada myself. On a smaller scale, I could see this being used in a home garden as well. Delicious food being grown and a little bit of extra energy put back into the home.
In New Zealand, this technology is being used on five solar farms mainly in the country's North Island that are operated by Lodestone Energy. The company lease land from local farmers who still can use the land for farming. It is a 'win win' for the farmer, as they get income from the farm and from the solar farm lease.
Whereitsiamindiannoplesae
I've thought about keeping chickens under panels for years. Panels would need to be taller(?), and the wires etc safe and hardened, but the chickens would have a roof on their run!!
New technology for electric power generationczcams.com/video/xc2V2BS_Fng/video.html
I think the chicken tractors could be used with the solar panels roof. Land is regenerative sequstering carbon.
Cattle and other livestock need shade structures, again some Mobile, some permanent. Also regenerative.
If we can sequester carbon through this and it provides power win win.
But it has to be well designed.
I see no reason why some wind turbines be used in conjunction with this to improve grid reliability and lower costs. Either or is not a winner
Chickens driving tractors is a great idea. Gives the human tractor drivers more time to take care of their chickens.
It has started to be used even in chicken houses in large farms in Turkey admin . Hello from izmir 🙂
I'm so thankful to find your channel!
Some things just make sense, and this guy certainly had an eye for spotting them. And he has the talent to create well constructed well researched, informative videos.
Don't forget the talent for puns - Badoomts with Matt Ferrell. 😁