Hilltop Community Farm's Park Foundation Solar Agrivoltaics Project

The Park Foundation Solar Agrivoltaics project has been installed at Hilltop Community Farm

You may be wondering what is Agrivoltaics. Agrivoltaics is the use of Solar power in agriculture which involves the integration of solar panels and agricultural production in the same land area. This innovative approach combines two important industries to increase land use efficiency and reduce environmental impacts.

Agrivoltaic systems can take different forms, such as shading crops with solar panels, planting crops under solar panels, installing solar panels over water surfaces for aquaculture or allowing animals to graze in the fields under the solar panels. The shading effect of solar panels can improve crop growth and yield as well as providing a good environment for the livestock by:

Reducing temperatures
Reducing water evaporation
Providing shelter from wind
Increasing humidity

This can also result in decreased need for irrigation, fertilization, and pesticides. Furthermore, the solar panels generate electricity that can be used to power irrigation systems, greenhouses, and other farm equipment.

Studies have shown that agrivoltaic systems can increase land use efficiency by up to 60%. This means that the same amount of land can produce more food and energy simultaneously. Additionally, agrivoltaics can reduce the environmental impact of agriculture by decreasing water use and carbon emissions.

We are excited that this 25kW system will allow our entire farm incubator program to be net zero. This project gives us the chance to demonstrate how both clean energy and agriculture can co-exist. Currently sheep can be seen grazing under our solar panels.

You can see from the photos below the process of installing the Solar Panels to Hilltop Community Farm.

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