In-House Green Fertiliser Production for AgriVoltaics From BIPV Green Hydrogen Laboratory
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52825/agripv.v4i.2849Keywords:
Green Fertiliser, Agrivoltaics, Green HydrogenAbstract
Brazil currently imports approximately 85% of its fertilisers, making its agricultural sector vulnerable to international supply disruptions and price volatility. In parallel, significant portions of the country face challenges related to energy poverty and food insecurity. Agrivoltaic systems, when coupled with localized production of green fertilisers, offer a promising pathway to simultaneously address these issues. Leveraging Brazil’s abundant solar radiation and rainwater availability, this study presents an innovative, integrated system for decentralized fertiliser production. Implemented at the Solar Energy Laboratory of the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, the system combines Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) with green hydrogen (H2) production, subsequently enabling the synthesis of ammonia (NH₃) and ammonium sulphate. The outcomes offer a scalable model for enhancing agricultural resilience and energy autonomy in Brazil and similar contexts worldwide.
Downloads
References
[1] Fraunhofer ISE. Agrivoltaics: Opportunities for Agriculture and the Energy Transition, A Guideline for Germany, Febuary 2024 https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/en/publications/studies/agrivoltaics-opportunities-for-agriculture-and-the-energy-transition.html
[2] L. Rapella, N. Viovy, J. Polcher, D. Faranda, J. Badosa, P. Drobinski. “Simulating generic agrivoltaic systems with ORCHIDEE: Model development and multi-case study insights”, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, vol. 371, pp. 110589, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110589
[3] SolarPowerEurope. Agrisolar, Best Practice Guidlines. Version 2. 2023. https://www.solarpowereurope.org/insights/thematic-reports/agrisolar-best-practice-guidelines-version-2-2
[4] SolarPowerEurope. Agrisolar Handbook. 2024. https://www.solarpowereurope.org/insights/thematic-reports/agrisolar-handbook-1
[5] R. Hollard. “Brazil imports 85% of fertilizers used in agriculture”. DataMar News https://www.datamarnews.com/noticias/brazil-imports-85-of-fertilizers-used-in-agriculture/ (2021).
[6] P.I.V. Farias, E. Freire, A.L.C. da Cunha, R.J.S. Grumbach, A.M.S. Antunes. “The fertilizer industry in Brazil and the assurance of inputs for biofuels production: Prospective scenarios after COVID-19”, Sustainability, vol. 12, no. 21, 8889, 2020, https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218889
[7] A. Blakers & R. Rüther, “The fastest energy change in history still underway”. https://www.pv-magazine.com/2024/04/24/the-fastest-energy-change-in-history-still-underway/#:~:text=New%20solar%20capacity%20is%20being,surpass%20fossil%20gas%20in%202024. (7 Jan 2025).
[8] L.C. Vidotto, K. Schneider, R.W. Morato, L.R. do Nascimento, R. Rüther. “An evaluation of the potential of agrivoltaic systems in Brazil”, Applied Energy, vol. 360, pp. 122782, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.122782
[9] https://www.gardenworld.co.uk/product/sulphate-of-ammonia/
[10] F.J.S. Tabosa, P.U. de C. Castelar, D.I.M. Amorim, E.M. Albuquerque, L.C.R. Lessa, E.C. Sousa. “Fertilizer price behavior in Brazil – 2018 to 2021”, Contribuciones a las Ciencias Sociales, vol. 17, no. 2, e5154, 2024, https://doi.org/10.55905/revconv.17n.2-115
[11] Instituto Matogrossense de Economia Agropecuária (IMEA), n.d., “Relatórios de mercado — fertilizantes,” IMEA, https://www.imea.com.br/imea-site/relatorios-mercado-detalhe?c=4&s=696277432068079616
[12] CONAB. Planilhas de Custos de Produção-Culturas de 1 a Safra. Available online: https://www.conab.gov.br/info-agro/custos-de-producao/planilhas-de-custo-de-producao/itemlist/category/406-planilhas-de-custos-de-producao-culturas-de-1-safra
[13] CONAB. Planilhas de Custos de Produção-Culturas de 2 a Safra. Available online: https://www.conab.gov.br/info-agro/custos-de-producao/planilhas-de-custo-de-producao/itemlist/category/404-planilhas-de-custos-de-producao-culturas-de-2-safra
[14] CONAB. Planilhas de Custos de Produção-Culturas Semiperenes. Available online: https://www.conab.gov.br/info-agro/custos-de-producao/planilhas-de-custo-de-producao/itemlist/category/407-planilhas-de-custos-de-producao-culturas-semi-perenes
Published
How to Cite
Conference Proceedings Volume
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ricardo Rüther, Marília Braga, Laís Cassanta Vidotto, Amanda Mendes Ferreira Gomes, Daniel Odilio dos Santos, Gustavo Xavier de Andrade Pinto

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Accepted 2026-02-27
Published 2026-03-20