How farmers can install solar panels in fields without damaging the rest of their operation

Snapshot freddy/Shutterstock Austin Kay, Swansea UniversityAs the world races to meet net-zero targets, emissions from all industrial sectors must be reduced more urgently than ever. Agriculture is an important area of focus as it contributes up to 22% of global greenhouse gas emissions. One approach to decarbonising agriculture involves integrating solar panels – or photovoltaics (PVs) – into fields of crops, greenhouses and livestock areas. Often known as agrivoltaics, this can help farmers reduce their carbon footprint while continuing to produce food. Agrivoltaics can also mitigate one of the main criticisms often made of solar power – that solar farms “waste” vast tracts of agricultural land that could otherwise be used for food production. In reality, solar farms currently occupy only 0.15% of the UK’s total land – not much compared to the 70% of land devoted to agriculture. The simplest example of an agrivoltaic system would be conventional, crystalline silicon PVs (the market-leading type of solar panels), installed in fields alongside livestock. This method of farm diversification has become increasingly popular in recent years for three main reasons. First, it enhances biodiversity as it means the fields are not being used for just one crop (monoculture), undergoing regular crop rotation, or being harvested...

Read More........→February 12, 2025

China building more wind, solar capacity than rest of world combined: report

BEIJING - China is building almost twice as much wind and solar energy capacity as every other country combined, research published on Thursday showed.The world's second-largest economy is the biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases that drive climate change.China has committed to bring carbon emissions to a peak by 2030 and to net zero by 2060.It has endured several waves of extreme weather in recent months that scientists say are rendered more severe by climate change.China currently has a total of 339 gigawatts (GW) of capacity under construction, including 159 GW of wind and 180 GW of solar.That is "nearly twice as much as the rest of the world combined", according to the study by Global Energy Monitor, a US-based NGO.The figure far exceeds the second-ranked nation, the United States, which is building a total of just 40 GW, the report said.It said China has broken ground on a third of new wind and solar capacity it has announced to date, compared to a global average of just seven percent."The stark contrast in construction rates illustrates the active nature of China's commitment to building renewables projects," the study said.China's national grid still relies on heavily polluting coal plants to deal with surges in power demandAFP/File | HECTOR RETAMALBeijing's vast renewable energy buildout does have some drawbacks.The national...

Read More........→October 26, 2024