Recently, the Smart Meteorology and Agricultural Climate Resource Utilization Innovation Team at the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, conducted a study comparing the effects of various combinations of photovoltaic materials and structures on soybean yield and quality. The study revealed that the agrivoltaics systems constructed with semi-transparent photovoltaic materials are feasible for large-scale soybean planting. The related findings have been published in Solar Energy, the official journal of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES), a leading authority in the renewable energy field.

Results of Optimization Model for Agri-PV Performance and Soybean Yield

The agrivoltaics system, which enables simultaneous production of food and energy, is regarded as a technology for the efficient use of land resources, representing an important development direction for achieving synergy between mitigation and adaptation in agriculture. However, traditional Agri-PV systems may lead to a reduction in crop yield and quality.

This study established a multi-material agrivoltaics testing platform and developed a photovoltaic-soybean planting optimization model. Various combinations of photovoltaic materials and structures were selected to test the feasibility of improving soybean yield and quality with agrivoltaics systems. It was found that 40% semi-transparent photovoltaic panels (3.2mm CDTe + 0.4mm EVA) could maintain soybean yield without reduction, with crude fat, soluble sugar and starch content remaining at 97.20%, 94.93% and 98.73%, respectively. There was no significant phenotypic difference in plant height and stem diameter between soybeans grown under semi-transparent photovoltaic panels and those without photovoltaic panels. This ensures the feasibility of mechanical harvesting of soybeans under agrivoltaics production conditions. At the same time, a quantitative optimization model was developed for the Agri-PV system radiation and soybean yield to assess the overall benefits of the agrivoltaics system. This study provides technical support for large-scale soybean planting using agrivoltaics systems, revealing the significant potential of agrivoltaics systems in the production of main crops.

This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program, National Natural Science Foundation of China and Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program (ASTIP) of China.

Linkage: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2024.112978