How Agrivoltaics Is Changing Agriculture and the Economy of Arid Regions – Trends
For a long time, renewable energy development and agriculture were viewed as competing industries vying for the same land resources. Agrivoltaics, a dual-use land-use concept that involves installing photovoltaic panels at a specific height above agricultural crops, offered a solution to this challenge.
The placement of solar modules creates controlled shade, dramatically altering the microclimate in the field: soil temperature decreases and moisture evaporation slows. At the same time, the plants themselves, through natural water evaporation through their leaves, continuously cool the underside of the panels, preventing them from overheating and increasing electricity production by three to five percent.
The practical effectiveness of this approach is confirmed by impressive results worldwide. A striking example is a recent experiment in Puglia, Italy, detailed in a study in the scientific journal Horticulturae, where vineyards under solar panels demonstrated a 277% increase in yield compared to open fields.
Under severe drought conditions, the panels acted as a protective shield against climate stress. As the industry analytical publication iGrow News points out, a similar effect has been recorded for tomato, berry, root crop, and forage crops, where water consumption for irrigation has been reduced by 20 to 50 percent.
Agrivoltaics is particularly relevant for regions with high levels of insolation and water scarcity, including the countries of Central Asia. The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) cites hybrid farms as a key element in the sustainable development of arid zones.
Installing solar modules directly over crops or irrigation canals not only saves precious water from evaporation but also provides autonomous energy for pumps and drip irrigation systems. This is transforming the agricultural sector: farmers gain not only protection from climate risks but also a diversified farming model with a guaranteed harvest and their own source of clean electricity.
