Government plans for a substantial increase in ground-mounted solar parks have sparked controversy among farmers and the public, who fear the loss of productive agricultural land. Concerns about food security, the economic impact of farmland reduction, and the visual transformation of rural landscapes have fueled opposition to large-scale solar farm expansion. However, the latest study suggests that agrivoltaics could alleviate these issues by allowing agricultural activity to continue alongside solar energy generation.
Agrivoltaics involves the strategic installation of photovoltaic panels in configurations that permit crop cultivation and livestock grazing underneath or between them. The study found that this approach could independently fulfill the UK's solar energy targets while preventing land use conflicts.
Professor Sue Hartley, Vice-President for Research and Innovation at the University of Sheffield and a co-author of the study, emphasized the significance of this approach: "The Government and solar developers have ambitious plans for the expansion of solar farms but these risk the loss of agricultural land needed for food production at a time when global food security is threatened by geopolitical uncertainty and climate change.
"Agrivoltaic technology is a potential way out of this dilemma. It allows us to use the same area of land for both food and clean energy production, addressing some of the criticism leveled at solar farms. This technology is in regular use in many areas of the world, including areas like Scandinavia with less sunlight than the UK, but has not yet been adopted here.
"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."
The study identifies regions such as Cambridgeshire, Essex, Lincolnshire, and the broader East and South East of England as prime locations for agrivoltaics. These areas benefit from a combination of flat terrain, active agricultural use, strong grid connectivity, and high solar radiation levels.
A prior research project led by the University of Sheffield, with an investment of GBP 1.4 million, successfully implemented agrivoltaic systems in Tanzania and Kenya. These systems not only generated low-carbon electricity but also improved agricultural productivity and water conservation. Crops such as maize, Swiss chard, and beans thrived under the partial shade of solar panels, benefiting from reduced water evaporation and supplemental irrigation through panel-collected rainwater.
The findings from the UK study aim to contribute to land use policy discussions by promoting multifunctional land strategies and encouraging further research into domestic agrivoltaic implementation.
Dr Richard Randle-Boggis, co-author of the study and currently a research scientist at SINTEF, noted: "Research on agrivoltaics is extensive in mainland Europe, but very little has been done in the UK.
"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.
"The loss of farmland is typically a major reason communities oppose solar park development in their local areas. Our research takes a leading step in demonstrating where solar parks could be developed alongside agricultural activities so that farmland is not lost."
Research Report:The spatial potential for agrivoltaics to address energy-agriculture land use conflicts in Great Britain
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