Solar technology could meet UK’s electricity demand fourfold without sacrificing farmland, a new report claims.
Academics from the University of Sheffield undertook research on the potential benefits of agrivoltaics, where land is used for solar energy production as well as agriculture.
They found that the coverage potential for the technology is so high that it could meet UK electricity demand more than four times over.
Regions identified for the effective deployment of agrivoltaics include Cambridgeshire, Essex, Lincolnshire, and the broader east and south-east of England.
Several factors contribute to this suitability, including the availability of flat land, the extent of existing agricultural use, grid connectivity and the prevalence of solar radiation.
Current government plans to significantly increase ground-mounted solar parks have sparked concerns about the loss of high-quality agricultural land, potential impacts on food production, and the visual impact on landscapes.
The study demonstrated how the deployment of agrivoltaics, which would see solar photovoltaic panels installed in ways to allow for farming activities underneath or between panels, could enable the simultaneous production of crops, livestock and renewable energy.
Agrivoltaics has such high coverage potential that it could meet UK government PV targets on its own, while avoiding land-use conflicts, the study found.
The university’s vice-president for research and innovation Professor Sue Hartley co-authored the study. She said: “The government and solar developers have ambitious plans for the expansion of solar farms but these risk the loss of agricultural land needed for food production at a time when global food security is threatened by geopolitical uncertainty and climate change.
“Agrivoltaic technology is a potential way out of this dilemma. It allows us to use the same area of land for both food and clean energy production, addressing some of the criticism levelled at solar farms.
“This technology is in regular use in many parts of the world, including areas like Scandinavia with less sunlight than the UK, but has not yet been adopted here.
“Our research identifies the areas in the UK where this technology can be most effectively deployed, both to mitigate land use conflicts and deliver the UK’s energy needs.”
A £1.4m project previously led by the University of Sheffield saw agrivoltaic systems installed on farmland in Tanzania and Kenya. Not only did the technology produce low carbon electricity, but it was found to significantly boost crop yields and conserve water in regions that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Researchers found that certain crops, such as maize, Swiss chard and beans, thrived under the partial shade provided by solar panels.
The shade offered further benefits as it reduced water evaporation for more efficient water use, while the panels themselves provided rainwater to supplement irrigation needs, the research found.