Solar panels in an agrivoltaic farming plot soak up the sun, providing shade and wind protection for the plants, which in turn produce vapor that cools the solar panels. In scientific terms, that's called a 'win-win.'
roof to solar agrivoltaics. It has to be flat, for one thing. It might require a significant retrofit to support the extra weight of the soil, plants, and panels. And you’d need to be damn sure it’s waterproofed. “Trying to sell a building owner, or certain stakeholders, on this concept probably isn't going to be the easiest thing,” says Thomas Hickey, research associate at Sandbox Solar, which develops agrivoltaic systems.
Hickey thinks it would be much easier to incorporate rooftop agrivoltaics into new building projects, and that governments—especially in countries that are rapidly urbanizing—can step in to subsidize them, as governments have subsidized solar panels in general. In the long term, such a system would generate both solar power and crops in perpetuity. “You get that energy coming in no matter what,” Hickey adds.
Growing crops locally like this would have other climate benefits. It would reduce the need to ship produce long distances on carbon-spewing trucks. And that layer of green would save building owners some green by insulating the roof. “In general, you can expect a 10 percent energy savings in a year by adding a green roof,” says Bousselot. “And then your energy budget gets evenTo be clear, Bousselot’s research is still in its early days.
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