Researchers discover 'win-win' situation after installing next-gen tech on farmland: 'The crops don't seem to mind'

Researchers believe solar farms and agricultural farms can be one and the same, thanks to a pilot project that highlights a unique solar panel setup.

The innovation, tested by a research team from Denmark's Aarhus University, features vertically installed solar panels in open crop fields. By standing the panels straight up, TechXplore reported, the researchers have been able to grow crops and generate energy side-by-side, with few performance issues.

"It's a win-win," study lead author Marta Victoria said in a university release.

The team published its study in the journal Energy Nexus.

To test their hypothesis, the researchers set up one system of vertically installed, east-west facing solar panels and another of traditionally installed, south-facing tilted panels. Both setups occurred in fields growing wheat and grass-clover mixtures.

The vertical panels generated slightly less electricity, but because their generation was highest during times of highest demand, it actually had a slightly higher value. And the crop yields in those fields showed no decline.

"Even with some shade, the yield per square meter is almost the same," researcher Uffe Jorgensen said in a release. "The crops don't seem to mind the presence of solar panels and they like the wind protection that they provide."

Even better, the vertical setup offered several environmental benefits, including reduced material usage and lower carbon emissions.

But most of all, the vertical panels used up much less space, occupying only 10% or so of the field's area. To get similar power generation and crop yield separately, researchers said, would normally require about 25% more space.

If this proves viable at scale, it would be a game-changer for solar farming.

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Many farmers have already started installing solar panels on their land, which provides a number of benefits. Not only does it create clean, renewable energy, reducing our planet's reliance on fossil fuels, but it also uses less water than traditional farming and can be a boon to local pollinators and native plants.

The practice can also prove lucrative to farmers. In California, many farmers who install solar panels have received up to $50,000 per acre each year, providing a steady revenue stream even when crops don't come in as planned.

However, these panels take up a lot of space, leaving less room for other necessary or valuable crops. That's where the vertical setup could create opportunity.

Before their vertical setup becomes mainstream, researchers plan to test it over a longer period spanning several crop cycles. But the potential is massive.

As an Aarhus release put it, "The message is clear: We don't have to choose between wheat and watts."

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