Food demand is always increasing, and with a global population of 7.5 billion, this puts further strain on resource use – 85% of water consumption around the world goes solely to irrigating crops.
A new field of agriculture is emerging that integrates solar energy with farming, which aids both energy and food concerns. The idea of agrivoltaics is simple: growing plants in the shade of solar panels allows for more control, and thus a better product.
While seemingly contradictory to traditional agriculture, there is such a thing as too much sun. Once crops reach their light saturation point, any further light is not absorbed or could damage the plant. The shade of solar panels protects crops from excess sunlight, also cooling the air temperature and saving water from evaporation, meaning less irrigation. This also allows farmers, whose livelihoods are always at the mercy of nature, to earn additonal money from solar companies.
Watch the video above for more details concerning agrivoltaics, and note how the plants cultivated through this method actually grew bigger!