As the world looks for ways to produce more with less, agrivoltaics offers a fresh approach: combining solar panels and agriculture on the same land. By generating renewable energy while supporting crops and livestock, this dual-use system can boost farm productivity, strengthen local economies, and make agriculture more resilient to a changing climate. Discover how agrivoltaics is redefining what it means to “farm the sun” in this article by Lisa Sandtner.
All posts tagged: Photovoltaic
Solar farms on rewetted peatlands – a double benefit for the climate?
Peatlands[1] account for 3% of the world’s land surface. As long as they are intact, they store large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO₂), one of the greenhouse gases (GHG) accelerating climate change. They even store twice as much CO₂ as all forests together. However, when drained or destroyed, they release great amounts of CO₂, hence turning from carbon sinks into emitters of GHG.
For Greece’s clean energy collectives, it’s all about energy democracy
Greece has transposed into law EU directives that stipulate the conditions for forming energy cooperatives and communities, much like those in Germany that kicked off its Energiewende in the 2000s. The first such non-profit solar farms will begin generation in early 2024. The hope is that they’ll set off a prosumer boom across the country. Paul Hockenos reports. Read More
Fire in the holes: Transforming mined out lands into solar plants
While most post-mining plans, especially for surface mines, calls for pits to be redeveloped into lakes or farm land, an increasing body of research and evidence shows that these ripped-up landscapes can be successfully transformed into clean energy gold mines—whose solar PV resource potential, unlike coal’s, is infinite. L. Michael Buchsbaum reports
Isles of Innovation: EU encourages community-run renewables on its islands
Six are on the path to self-sufficiency, and 20 more will follow. Islands are an excellent fit for renewables for a number of reasons. Paul Hockenos takes a look
Poland may miss its 2020 targets for renewable energy – unless offshore wind develops fast
A summary of the Polish power industry in 2018 gives no apparent reason for optimism. But appearances can be deceiving: there is a flicker of light on the horizon. The only question is whether it is not appearing too late, says Michał Olszewski.
The age of Czech solar power: after years of stagnation, is a rebirth imminent?
No other energy resource in the Czech Republic has been as discussed in the media and political debate as solar has been in recent years. The technology entered the Czech energy sector in 2010 with a big initial bounce, but its development stagnated during the next decade. Those interested in Czech photovoltaic technology are now attempting to revive it, says Martin Sedlák.