Growing crops under solar panels provide food and energy

Added on 11 May 2023

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Growing crops under solar panels provide food and energy

Imagine growing greens in your backyard under a solar panel and then juicing them in a blender powered by the same energy. A new University of Alberta project is working to make that a reality.

By growing spinach under different solar panels, two U of A researchers are measuring how the process affects both plant growth and the electrical output of the panels.

Known as agrivoltaics, the fairly new sustainable practice integrates solar panels with crops, making simultaneous use of land for both food and energy production.

Agrivoltaics has the potential to address several pressing issues around sustainability, says Guillermo Hernandez Ramirez, an associate professor and soil scientist in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences.

“It brings together major challenges we have ahead of us: the energy transition to renewable energy sources and the questions of feeding the world and addressing issues of climate action,” he says.

Agrivoltaics has other benefits besides dual land use and food security; it could also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make more efficient use of water.

And it’s scalable to serve both rural and especially urban agriculture by making use of backyards and city green spaces to grow food and generate electricity, he notes.