Agrivoltaic system designing for sustainability and smart farming: Agronomic aspects and design criteria with safety assessment

Abstract

An agrivoltaic system (AVS) offers a potential strategy for meeting global demands for renewable energy and sustainability by integrating photovoltaics and agriculture. Many empirical studies have installed facilities and cultivated actual crops, revealing that AVSs improve land use efficiency. However, it is rare for actual end-users and farmsteads to adopt AVSs owing to a lack of standardised models and design criteria. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive AVS design considering agronomic aspects and structural safety along with an analysis of design criteria to promote the dissemination of AVSs. Based on the photovoltaic module arrangement and adjusting installation conditions, various design types were considered to reflect on-site conditions and user preferences. In addition, safety standards for disaster resistance and trade-offs among shading ratio, power generation capacity, and quantity of structural members were analysed. The safety assessment results demonstrated that the column of the AVS structure was vulnerable to wind loads, and the safety standards varied according to the adjusted column spacing. The narrower the column design, the more advantageous the safety and power generation and the more disadvantageous the crop cultivation environment and installation cost. The sequentially mounted type allowed relatively less solar radiation to reach the crop and generated more solar energy. When the modules were mounted at a distance, the structural safety was slightly reduced; however, more solar radiation and economic feasibility were secured. These results will support decision-making regarding AVS designs, help in identifying the sensitivity of crops to shading, and be utilised for the establishment of a standardised AVS model to promote dissemination.