Impacts of a Vertical Bifacial Agrivoltaics System on Field Corn in Northern Colorado, USA
Performance of Silage Corn in the Establishment Year
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52825/agripv.v4i.2812Keywords:
Agrivoltaics, Silage Corn, North-South Oriented Solar PanelsAbstract
The integration of vertical bifacial photovoltaic (PV) modules in agrivoltaics (AV) systems presents a novel opportunity to optimize land use by co-locating energy and food production. Vertical racking systems hold bifacial panels upright and stationary so that they can absorb sunlight from both sides while eliminating the need for sun-tracking mechanisms and large land footprints. This study evaluated the impact of vertically installed bifacial PV panels on the growth and productivity of silage corn during the 2024 growing season. Corn was planted between north-south oriented PV panel rows, with the following treatments: center, east (morning light/afternoon shade), west (morning shade/afternoon light), and an unshaded control with three replicates. Results showed no significant differences in silage or grain yields across treatments (p > 0.05), indicating this vertical PV system did not negatively impact crop productivity. However, significant differences in instantaneous net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) were observed (p < 0.05), with the solar-east treatment exhibiting the highest Pn and PAR levels in the morning. These results support the viability of vertically mounted bifacial PV systems on a shade-sensitive crop. Furthermore, such systems can sustain corn productivity while accomodating energy infrastructure.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dewanshi Kumari, Jane Davey, Mark E. Uchanski
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Accepted 2026-02-19
Published 2026-03-17
Funding data
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Colorado Department of Agriculture
Grant numbers 202400002856