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Growing crops under solar panels

fastcompany.com

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Re: Growing crops under solar panels

#31

Post by mminer237 »

detourdog wrote: post #28
throwuwu wrote: post #3

I’m no farmer but wouldn’t putting a whole bunch of stuff in a field make it difficult to drive a tractor through it? Like have you seen the size of modern tractors? These panels will need to be 20ft in the air with support posts really far apart to accommodate seed drills and sprayers and other equipment that the tractor pulls behind it.

I can tell you are no farmer. No tractor is needed in a field maintained by grazing. If tbe panels are mounted high enough sunlight will be cast on the ground for a period each day.

I am a farmer, and this doesn't make sense. Grazing fields aren't really growing crops.

Even if this is just crops that are picked by hand (it mentions broccoli), they typically still have huge machines follow the laborers for them to deposit them in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKyxMKO2kyU

I can't see any good way to harvest a field with solar panels that isn't so inefficiently laid out that it would be better to have two separate fields.

Re: Growing crops under solar panels

#32

Post by andrewflnr »

crooked-v wrote: post #17

I really don't get why people keep coming up with all these elaborate plans to mix solar panels with other stuff that's in active use, instead of just putting fields of them out in non-endangered desert elevated enough off the ground that they won't actively interfere with local animals.

They don't seem they elaborate to me, at least compared to any other engineering project that engages the real world. I'm just wondering what took them so long.

Re: Growing crops under solar panels

#33

Post by defrost »

throwuwu wrote: post #3

I’m no farmer but wouldn’t putting a whole bunch of stuff in a field make it difficult to drive a tractor through it? Like have you seen the size of modern tractors? These panels will need to be 20ft in the air with support posts really far apart to accommodate seed drills and sprayers and other equipment that the tractor pulls behind it.

Picture of sheep grazing under panels in Australia:

Solar farm trial shows improved fleece on merino sheep grazed under panels

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2022-05-30/solar-farm-graz...

Note the room to drive between panel rows and for "boom mowers" to spread out behind a medium tractor and reach under the panels.

There are also many types of vehicles used in agriculture from two storey high broad acre heavy duty combine harvesting monsters to small narrow self propelled engines that run through tree trunks in orchard with various attachments to mow (sprung mowing rings), shake trees (to make fruit fall), spray leaves, trench (for irrigation, drainage, etc).

Also, see: "Agri-bots" - a revolution not yet complete in small driverless autonomous helpers to run 24/7 weeding, spraying, picking berries, using solar, etc.

Re: Growing crops under solar panels

#35

Post by orbital-decay »

f0ld wrote: post #34

They’re talking about transparent solar panels right? HN has been very weird lately. Was this article topic suggested by chatGPT?

No, it's for the areas with excessive insolation - the idea is to use solar panels to create some shadow, reducing the exposure to sunlight for crops and wildlife, which benefits both.

Re: Growing crops under solar panels

#36

Post by tengbretson »

There are solar farms being installed on previously very productive farm land near me. Between the thousands of truckloads of gravel and the steel piles being driven into the ground as far as the eye can see, I doubt the land will productively grow food of any kind for a century or more.

edit: I apologize if this is difficult to hear.

Re: Growing crops under solar panels

#37

Post by ed25519FUUU »

This is a very CA-centric research topic. In most of the US heartland theres millions and millions and millions of acres of farmland. There’s no need and limited benefit to mixing PV with agriculture.

And the places where it does make sense it makes sense only for running goats around in the PV sites to keep weeds down.

Re: Growing crops under solar panels

#38

Post by ed25519FUUU »

sourcecodeplz wrote: post #24

Just plant that type of grass the herbivores really like and let the cows, sheep and goats roam. We can't only eat plants we need cheese too.

This is the only solution that makes sense everywhere where land is not a million dollars an acre (places not California).

Re: Growing crops under solar panels

#39

Post by gumby »

I’ve long wondered why solar panels and wind turbines aren’t colocated, as the power transmission infrastructure can be shared.

In Germany, power companies are installing turbines in farmers’s fields. Solar is harder (but you could mount it higher — harder to wash though).

I’ve seen solar installations in India overgrown with vegetation.

Re: Growing crops under solar panels

#40

Post by pigsty »

ed25519FUUU wrote: post #37

This is a very CA-centric research topic. In most of the US heartland theres millions and millions and millions of acres of farmland. There’s no need and limited benefit to mixing PV with agriculture. And the places where it does make sense it makes sense only for running goats around in the PV sites to keep weeds down.

Farming and hot sunlight isn’t something that only exists in california.

High population density countries also do farming and using every inch of land is essential. Demand for things sensitive to harsh sunlight (herbs, berries, and so on) or in places with long dry seasons means growing under shaded areas has advantages, and doubly so if you can extract energy while doing so. That’s also not exclusive to california.

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