Can Agrivoltaics Avoid Need for Seasonal Storage, thus Enabling Isolated Microgrids in California?

California’s summer peak in solar generation often misaligns with the load profile, which peaks later in the season, making additional solar energy less appealing to the grid. In such cases, agrivoltaics-based isolated microgrids offer a practical solution for powering on-site groundwater pumping. They eliminate the need for transmission infrastructure, lengthy interconnection processes, and complex regulatory requirements. This study analyzes the seasonal alignment between electricity needed to pump groundwater for irrigation and solar generation using three solar panel orientations: fixed south-facing, single-axis tracked, and vertical bifacial panels. Results show that some of these align well with peak summer water needs, resulting in an isolated microgrid with very little need for battery storage.