French Solar Panels For Agriculture Soil Hope Grass

The solar projects protect the soil if the farmers want to turn it back into farmland later.

French solar panels for agriculture soil hope grass.

They keep the weeds and grass trimmed down in the hard to reach places between and under the solar panels. That has been documented in cases where other types of galvanized steel structures were removed and crops didn t grow or didn t fare well heiniger said. Photo by merrill smith. Giving soil rest can also maintain soil quality.

High rates of herbicides frequent mowing and the use of mulches rock or plastic will all have negative impacts on the land from herbicide residues soil compaction and erosion and particles of damaged panels left in the soil resulting in contamination from heavy metals and rare earth elements used in solar panels. Gravel and turf grass can create an impervious surface that can increase runoff wash away topsoil and create unwanted flooding or gullies. Their research is part of an ongoing study to quantify the benefits of a new approach to solar installations. But diverse groundcovers and native grasses with varying soil depths will help stabilize the soil underneath solar panels.

Co locating agriculture with solar. Many solar panels are supported by galvanized steel platforms. Increasing the value of that land for agriculture in the future. Nearby beekeepers check on the health of local hives.

That steel oxidizes over time and releases zinc into the soil which can be toxic to plants at certain levels. Combining solar power generation and agriculture offers not only a solution to securing land for pv projects in nations such as the netherlands or japan where soil consumption is becoming an. Higgins and co author elnaz hassanpour adeh had previously published research showing that solar panels increase agricultural production on dry unirrigated farmland. Natural grazing practices encourage grass to grow increase soil health and also avoids mowing.

And then there are the multiple benefits of allowing natural grazers such as sheep and goats onto the land around the panels. They found that the grasses growing in shaded areas under the solar panels were 328 more water efficient and maintained higher soil moisture throughout the heat of summer. Most solar panels have a glass front that protects the pv cell and an aluminum or steel frame.