Feasibility of AgriVoltaic Wheat Farming with Standard-Height, Utility-Scale Tracking Systems

Abstract

This research focuses on AgriVoltaic systems, combining standard-height (1.5 meters) PV arrays with single-axis solar trackers for wheat cultivation. The study was conducted in Sorocaba/São Paulo, at the Nextracker Solar Study Laboratory situated at Flextronics Institute of Technology (FIT). This study reveals that wheat production between PV rows is minimally affected by shading. In the 2023 winter wheat season in Brazil, the production in Regular Agriculture was 12.04 ± 4.27 tons/ha. In the AgriVoltaics area, it produced 10.72 ± 1.52 tons/ha of wheat in addition to 2354.82kWh/kWp-year. In the area dedicated to energy production, it generated a performance of 2462.26kWh/kWp-year. Statistically, using the Tukey’s test, it is possible to state that there is no difference in productivity, although there are differences in morphological and physiological performance, issues that should be better explored in future studies. Furthermore, AgriVoltaics systems observed a 40% reduction in irrigation requirements, making it economically feasible for both energy providers and local farming economies. So, this study demonstrates successful integration of cost-effective PV trackers, offering potential for large-scale co-production of food and renewable energy.