A study by the University of Sheffield shows that the combination of photovoltaics and agriculture can contribute to achieving the energy transition targets in the UK without losing agricultural land. This would also be in line with the government’s requirements for the expansion of large solar power plants. This is because London wants to drive forward the expansion of ground-mounted solar installations throughout the UK in order to achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
Farmers fear loss of land
However, this does not meet well with farmers. They fear the loss of high-quality farmland, which in turn would have an impact on food production and the cost of living. In addition, the solar installations would have a visual impact on the landscape. For this reason, researchers at the University of Sheffield have focussed on agri-PV.
Coverage potential of the area increased
In their study, the researchers demonstrate that the use of agri-PV enables the simultaneous cultivation of food or livestock farming as well as the production of solar power. This is because the area under or between the rows of modules can still be used for agricultural purposes. As a result, agri-PV enables higher coverage potential on the area than the separate operation of solar systems and agriculture on different areas.
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It can also reconcile government targets for solar roll-out with agriculture. „Our research identifies the areas in the UK where this technology can be most effectively deployed, both to mitigate land use conflicts and deliver the UK’s energy needs,“ explains Sue Hartley, Professor at the University of Sheffield and co-author of the study.
Favourite regions identified
Regions suitable for the effective deployment of agri-PV include Cambridgeshire, Essex, Lincolnshire and the wider East and South East of England. The researchers looked at various factors that are necessary for dual utilisation. In these areas, several factors contribute to this suitability. These include the availability of flat land, the extent of existing agricultural use, the grid connectivity and the prevalence of solar radiation.
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Little research on agri-PV in the UK to date
With their study, the scientists want to defuse the debates on land use policy and inform farmers about the possibilities of the combination. The aim is to support the development of domestic agri-PV. „ Research on agrivoltaics is extensive in mainland Europe, but very little has been done in the UK,” says Richard Randle-Boggis, explaining the need for the new study.
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Next step is field trials
He is responsible for agri-PV research at the University of Sheffield. „Our next step should be field experiments to test the performance of the systems, investigate different designs with different crops and better understand the perspectives of local communities and other stakeholders,” emphasises Richard Randle-Boggis. „After all, the loss of farmland is typically a major reason communities oppose solar park development in their local areas,“ he says. „Our research takes a leading step in demonstrating where solar parks could be developed alongside agricultural activities so that farmland is not lost.
The study „The spatial potential for agrivoltaics to address energy-agriculture land use conflicts in Great Britain“, which also involved scientists from the Norwegian industrial research institute SINTEF, has been published in the journal Science Direct.
