The Future of Agrivoltaics: Trends We Are Seeing

Agrivoltaics, the co-location of solar energy generation with agricultural activities, has shown significant advancements in recent years. Driven by innovations in solar panel design, system integrations, and data-driven modeling tools. Below are recent technological advancements in agrivoltaics. 

Bifacial Panels

Bifacial panels differ from traditional solar panels as they have a glass backsheet instead of an opaque backing. The glass backsheet allows photons to penetrate both sides of the panel, increasing solar production. Although not a new technology, this type of panel has recently gained traction with certain solar configurations. The backside of a bifacial panel has a different efficiency compared to the front, called bifaciality. Traditionally, the bifaciality factor of these panels has been .7, meaning the rear side has an efficiency of 70% compared to the front side of the panel. Recent advancements have brought panels to market with a bifaciality of .9 to .95, greatly increasing the adoption of this technology. 

Vertical Arrangement

In space-limited areas, vertical solar arrangement has gained traction in recent years. In an attempt to save space and fit solar energy generation in agricultural and urban areas, vertical solar has shown great promise. Vertical solar systems display unique generation curves. In a north-to-south orientation, generation peaks mid-morning and evening, aligning with peak energy demands in the US. This technology spreads the peak energy generation from traditional orientations that peak midday, when the energy demand is not as high.  Vertical solar systems also experience increased airflow and different thermal behavior due to their orientation, lowering the temperature of the panels, therefore increasing production efficiency. 

Integrated Water Management 

Solar designers and engineers alike are starting to incorporate water collection systems within solar arrays. For fixed systems and vertical systems alike, this is a straightforward approach, gutters attached to the bottom of the panels collect water and divert it to storage systems to be used for irrigation. Systems that collect water significantly boost water-use efficiency. Alongside rainwater collection systems, many agrivoltaic projects incorporated water and soil sensors. These two technologies combined reduce the need for pumping groundwater and increase water efficiency for the system as a whole. 

Robotic Integration 

With the advancement of technology across all industries, AI, solar development, and automated farming, agrivoltaics can work with and improve these systems. AI processing centers use large amounts of energy to handle the massive computational demands of their work. Pairing these energy-intensive operations close in proximity to at-scale agrivoltaic operations poses a great opportunity to provide clean energy to a resource-intensive industry. Robotics is being actively introduced to the agriculture industry, from automated machines that handle planting, harvesting, and weeding. Agrivoltaics possesses the ability to power the growing demand for electric tools on farms.

Semi-Transparent Panels

Semi-transparent allows a percentage of light to filter through the panel, decreasing the shade experienced underneath. In the US market, these panels are currently only available for research purposes. In application, these systems allow high-light crops to grow undisturbed underneath traditional fixed or tracking systems. When available for market use, these panels will open great possibilities for new agrivoltaic solutions. 

Modeling & Optimization Software

Tools that simulate light patterns underneath solar arrays, like Spade, are growing in popularity. They inform design decisions to maximize both energy and agricultural production. In the conception stages of agrivoltaic projects, Spade can inform agronomic planning by factoring in solar geometry, crop physiology, and economic performance.