According to researchers at the University of Alberta, lawns, courtyards, and rooftops could be used to produce solar energy and fresh vegetables.
Guillermo Hernandez, a soil scientist, and Camila Quiroz, a Peruvian researcher, are studying the possibility of growing crops under solar panels to improve the use of space in cities and farms.
"We know how to generate electricity from sunlight. We also know how to grow crops," says Hernandez. "But the question is, can we do both in the same space?"
Growing crops under solar panels is called agri-voltaics, a relatively new concept to improve land-use efficiency by producing energy and food in the same place.
In a 25-day experiment, Hernandez and Quiroz grew batches of spinach under three systems: thick solar panels, thin solar panels, and no solar panels. The researchers used simulated sunlight in a small room at the university during the Alberta winter. Quiroz, who studies energy engineering in Peru, says there were no significant differences in taste or nutrition between spinach grown with solar panels and spinach grown with simulated sunlight. "I ate some of the spinach grown with solar panels," says Quiroz. "They were sweet. The taste was perfect."
However, the plants grown with solar panels were smaller than those grown without panels. Quiroz says that a "little more time" under the panel would have helped them ripen better. The researchers are conducting a laboratory analysis to determine the exact nutritional composition of the three batches and will publish the results in the coming weeks. According to Quiroz, agro-technology is not just about optimizing the soil surface. The solar panels create a microclimate beneath them, shielding the plants from direct sunlight and promoting the right temperatures. Vegetables, berries, and broccoli are among the foods that grow well under solar panels. According to Quiroz, solar panels could also increase crop production for some foods and improve water efficiency.
'Another benefit is the increase in solar energy production,' says Quiroz.
This year, an International Energy Agency report said that investors are increasingly gravitating towards solar energy projects, surpassing spending on fossil fuel projects for the first time.
According to Hernandez, although the initial cost of installing solar panels may be high, agri-voltaics can become part of Canada's urban landscape. "In some urban areas, the connection to food is missing. Agrivoltaics would teach people to grow fresh produce using solar energy on balconies, backyards, and smaller areas. "People will be able to witness the cultivation of their food and feel more connected to where their food comes from".
Some provincial governments have given discounts and subsidies to households and institutions for installing solar panels.
Other countries, including South Korea and France, are also experimenting with agricultural photovoltaics.
Greenview Energy supports such practices in order to promote the use of solar panels and renewable energy. Empower the future with GreenView Energy.
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