Journal Article: Large-Scale and Cost-Efficient Agrivoltaics System by Spectral Separation
Abstract
Agrivoltaics (AV) offers a promising solution to address both food and energy crises. However, crop growth under photovoltaic (PV) conditions faces substantial challenges due to insufficient light transmission. We propose a large-scale and cost-effective spectral separated concentrated agricultural photovoltaic (SCAPV) system. The system utilizes concentrator modules, cell components, and dual-axis tracking systems to enhance power conversion efficiency (PCE), achieving a maximum PCE of 11.6%. After three years of successful operation, a 10 kWp power plant achieved an average annual electricity generation exceeding 107 MWh/ha. The results showed higher yields of various crops, including ginger and sweet potatoes, and significant improvements in soil moisture retention compared to open air. The improvements in PCE and microclimate validate the scalability of the SCAPV, which provides better plant conditions and cost-effectiveness, with an estimated cost reduction of 18.8% compared to conventional PV power plant. This study provides valuable insights and directions for improvement in AV.
Contains a model
Contains novel data
Topics
- Plant Science
- Plant productivity and yields
- Microclimatology
- Air temperature
- Relative humidity
- Wind and airflow
- Light and shading
- PAR/PPFD
- Soil
- PV Technologies
- Novel PV materials
- Panel temperatures
Authors
- Fangxin Zhang, Ming Li, Wei Zhang, Wenjun Liu, Altyeb Ali Abaker Omer, Zhisen Zhang, Jianan Zheng, Wen Liu and Xinyu Zhang
:
iScience, 11/2023
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.108129
- Online
- Internet link for Large-Scale and Cost-Efficient Agrivoltaics System by Spectral Separation
Citation
Fangxin Zhang, Ming Li, Wei Zhang, Wenjun Liu, Altyeb Ali Abaker Omer, Zhisen Zhang, Jianan Zheng, Wen Liu, Xinyu Zhang. 11/2023. Large-Scale and Cost-Efficient Agrivoltaics System by Spectral Separation. iScience. 26(11):1-16.
