Dynamic Agrivoltaics: An Agronomical Tool to Protect Crops from Climate Change - Feedback from 15 Years of Research

Climate change is having an increasing negative impact on agriculture, with more frequent extreme weather events such as droughts, heatwaves, frost and heavy rains. Dynamic AgriVoltaics (DAV) is an innovative solution to protect crops and maintain food security, while also contributing to the global energy transition. For over 15 years, Sun’Agri has been at the forefront of research on DAV systems worldwide, studying more than 20 species for field crops, horticultural crops, grapevine and fruit trees. This research has involved trials on crops grown under varying levels of shading using dynamic DAV plots to assess how different shading strategies affect yield and quality, and large-scale trials to collect data at a commercial level. The results demonstrate the need of a smart agronomic management of solar panels to allow crops the access to light when needed, even if this means reducing energy production at certain times. The DAV system consists of solar trackers placed above the crops, oriented South-North, allowing the panel to rotate for dynamic shading adjustments based on the specific light requirements of the crops during the day and the season. DAV can be also positioned to protect crops from climate hazards. By fine-tuning the shading and light exposure, DAV helps optimize plant growth and quality, while protecting crops from potentially damaging environmental conditions.