Crops Protected by Shade
The installation of photovoltaic panels on agricultural plots provides shade for crops. The proportion of shaded areas depends on technology. For example, dynamic management of panels makes it possible to adapt the shade according to the needs of the plants and the climatic conditions. This partial and rotating shade limits the risks of thermal, water and oxidative stress in plants. In contrast, fixed agrivoltaic structures provide constant shade in a given area and are therefore not suitable for all crops.
It's all about balance: a poorly adapted percentage of shade could lead to a lack of sunlight and affect crop yield and quality.
To optimize the synergy between panels and crops, care must be taken to select the most suitable crops. For example: avoid sunflowers, which need a lot of light, and prefer crops that appreciate some shade. Likewise, some varieties within the same species may be more or less adapted to this practice.
Protection against extreme temperatures
In summer, agrivoltaics reduces air and ground temperatures under the panels. In winter, these same panels partly keep the heat on the ground, limiting the risk of frost.
Under the first Agricultural canopy installed by TSE in Haute-Saône, in Amance, the sensors buried 30 cm in the ground recorded 3.5°C less under the panels than in the control part. Thus, the canopy smoothes thermal extremes, offering optimal conditions for crops or meadows. The yields of the meadow mixture also doubled in August 2024 under the canopy of Souleuvre en Bocage (14).
Less Water Stress
By protecting crops against heatstroke, agrivoltaics limits evapotranspiration and plant water stress. Under the photovoltaic panels, water needs decrease by 20 to 30%, according to ADEME. While fixed models allow little rain to pass through, mobile solutions can be arranged almost vertically. Crops thus benefit from homogeneous access to rainwater.
A shield against mechanical climatic hazards
Depending on their positioning, solar panels offer crops physical protection against certain types of weather, such as hail. The efficiency is even greater with a system of mobile panels, which can be positioned horizontally.
Solar structures, especially vertical panels, also serve as windbreaks and protect crops from damage caused by strong winds.
An Improvement in Animal Welfare
Under the solar panels, the shade provides farm animals with a cooler environment, which protects them from direct sunlight and heat. A significant advantage in summer or in hot regions. The reduction of heat stress has a positive impact on the health and comfort of animals, as well as on their digestive functions and their food consumption.
Best Practices for More Solar Power
Agrivoltaics represents a real field of experimentation for the agricultural world and research. Extensive Studies Are Being Carried Out On Pilot sites, including from farmers who are partners of TSE. They pave the way for new knowledge on the interactions between crops and photovoltaic panels, and to improved agricultural practices. Indeed, if photovoltaic panels provide services to crops, the opposite is possible. For example, bifacial panels, capable of capturing direct and diffuse solar radiation, optimize energy efficiency. However, agricultural practices that promote permanent plant cover of the soil (intercrops, direct seeding, etc.) improve the reflective power of plots... and therefore energy efficiency. Not to mention that they contribute to the storage of carbon in the soil.
Agricultural Yields: Encouraging Returns
The issue of agricultural yield remains at the heart of concerns. The experiments are still too recent to draw conclusions. However, this is one of the goals that developers like TSE are coping with their pilot sites. For example, on his Amance's site, in Haute-Saône, TSE tested 6 soybean varieties. Despite the high heterogeneity of the environment, and especially of the soil, the Soprana variety obtains encouraging results: there is no significant difference in the overall yield and the number of soybean pods outside and under the canopy.
Although at this stage, the results cannot be generalized, they confirm the need for continued investment in agricultural research and monitoring. Objective: to achieve the best possible synergy between agriculture and energy production, always in a context of economic, environmental and social sustainability.
