Growing Crops under Solar Panels

A new approach to rural agriculture has been taken, which includes the use of solar panels to act as a protective bubble around crops, in order to shield them from the exposure to extreme levels of UV radiation, which can be linked to climate change. In this study, a farmer from Colorado tested this hypothesis, and in doing so the gaps created by the solar panels around the crops were extremely beneficial and were able to create a forest-like environment for the crops, which ultimately allowed for them to flourish. 

Based on this experiment, it was concluded that having both crops and solar panels was found to be even more effective than just solar panels alone. This is because water that evaporates from the soil rises up towards the panels, and plants release their own water. This then causes the panels to cool down, which is efficient because solar panels function better at cooler temperatures. Not only is this method effective for the environment, but it also can help boost the industry of agriculture. Although supplying the solar panels may be expensive in the beginning, over time it can actually reduce the amount of money farmers have to spend. For example, the ingredients used in salsa will end up using less water which will ultimately save expenses that would go towards harvesting the crops.