Agrophotovoltaics or Agrivoltaics can improve food production while generating sustainable energy from the sun. It involves the integration of solar photovoltaics with farmlands in order to produce both food and energy in a land-use-optimizing manner. This system is synonymous with “agrovoltaics,” “agrisolar,” and “dual-use solar”.
Traditionally, if some land is allocated for photovoltaic technology, it implies that less food is grown. The opportunity cost of building massive solar farms is the displaced agricultural production. However, energy and agricultural objectives can now be integrated with the application of Agrivoltaics. There is growing global interest in this system because it is increasingly seen as a potential solution to concerns over competition on land use for energy and food security.
In the country’s transition towards the adoption of clean energy, some jobs are displaced. Though solar farms create employment opportunities in the renewable energy sector, these gains can be countered by the displacement of certain jobs in the agriculture sector. Since Agrivoltaic systems combine the benefits of food and energy production, this synergy has the potential to create simultaneous employment opportunities for both sectors.
However promising the benefits of Agrivoltaics adoption, some limitations and challenges exist, especially concerning the upfront costs. Relatively high installation costs can make the system unappealing to potential investors, which in turn might affect its social acceptance by the local community. Unlike typical solar farms, Agrivoltaic systems need special components and modules, mounting systems, and even solar trackers that can considerably increase the overall cost.