The agricultural sector has always been associated with sound natural resource management, but this sector is expanding into new sustainable fields, including renewable energy.
The use of cleaner and more environmentally friendly forms has many clear benefits, including reductions in carbon emissions and other forms of pollution, but in the case of agriculture it can also provide further benefits.
In particular, the combination of agricultural energy production and solar energy, often referred to as photovoltaic agriculture, can help increase productivity and land-use efficiency.
Earlier this summer, a study conducted by the UK Solar Authority found that many of the UK's solar parks are home to many endangered species, many of which are found in species specially managed for conservation.
Insects that live around ground-mounted solar panels can also benefit nearby farms by increasing the amount of pollinators available, according to research conducted by Lancaster University and biodiversity consultants Clarkson & Woods and Wychwood.
He notes that solar power plants can provide “an excellent resource for invertebrates” because they can produce large amounts of nectar.
Another example is European independent energy company Alight, which recently introduced sheep to mow its 7-megawatt solar power plant in Ahos, Sweden.
Sheep roam freely through the panels, avoiding the disturbance of weeds, and these panels provide shade for the sheep, allowing them to spend nearly three-quarters of the time in the sun.
At the sun-sheltered Alight sheep farm in Åhus, to provide a safe environment for sheep and regular herders, including training shepherds to work in electrical repair shops.
There are already several studies showing that solar research provides “better pastures than open land,” Warren Campbell, CEO of Alight, told me.
“In our case, we have a shepherd who follows his sheep, and he is just like any other shepherd,” says Campbell.
And by adjusting the reach or raising the panels, you can still manage your solar garden's crops, too.
Campbell adds that when Alight surveys a potential site for solar panels, they always look at the existing biodiversity in the area and how to improve it.
“Farmers are the guardians of the land in the long term and often spanning generations,” he says.
“They really care about this land and want the best for the long term. They have to make sure the land is good for the land and the economy.”
As for the added benefits to farmers, Tom McCalmont, CEO of umbrella solar company Paired Power, says installing panels on farms also has other benefits, such as cooling the soil beneath, allowing farmers to save electricity. tall. valuable plant
McCalmont told me in an interview that many farmers in the United States find it difficult to access the internet and might find it useful to go offline, or they are struggling with high diesel prices and want to buy an electric tractor.
Either way, he says, there are clear benefits from installing solar panels.
"We are rapidly entering a world where everything is electrified," he added. “In a world like this, the best way to produce energy is to consume it locally, so installing solar panels in fields is a great idea for many farmers.”
David Myers, founder of Gridtractor, said in an interview that it is "really exciting and exciting" for many farmers to use solar energy to generate electricity on site, mostly off-grid and to power machines.
Most California farms already "harness" solar energy to power irrigation systems, Myers added, but more capacity could be added to power electric tractors and other farm equipment.
He told me that many farmers are currently under pressure from consumers and retailers regarding the carbon footprint of their crops, and it is clear that the switch to solar and electric cars will also benefit them.
He added that switching to electric agricultural machines would help improve air quality in agricultural areas, which would also help farm workers.
