Design and Testing of an Innovative Closed Agrivoltaic System: "Algaevoltaics"

Agrivoltaics (agri-PV) is acknowledged an optimal way to combine energy generation from photovoltaics (PV) and crop production on the same land unit. In general, the economic value of the crops generated is significantly lower than the economic value of energy, and therefore the energy component of the system design and performance is better evaluated than the plants (agri) one. Nevertheless, the seek for optimal light transmission conditions through or underneath the PV modules, suitable for the plants growth, leads to spatial designs that can lower the energy production from PV as the density of power is lower than in a standard PV layout (e.g. increased distance between the modules stripes). This project experiments with an optimized energy and economic combination between a standard PV layout and a crop characterized by a high photosynthesis efficiency and a high market value. The result is an innovative integrated design that combines PV and micro algae generation, with several advantages with respect to current PV designs and crop selections for agrivoltaics. The name of this system is AlgaevoltaicsTM. The paper presents and discusses preliminary data (energy and micro algae) from the monitoring of the pilot realized at the ENEA facilities in Portici, in October 2023. This is made of two 3.4kWp PV systems, integrating two identical circuits of tubular photobioreactors. These two units differ because of the use of mono facial (glass-tedlar technology) or bifacial (glass-glass technology) PV modules.