Installing Solar Panels On Farmland

New oregon state university study shows that installing solar panels on farmland can maximize their efficiency.

Installing solar panels on farmland. A new study finds that if less than 1 of agricultural land was converted to solar panels it would be sufficient to. The study published today in the journal scientific reports finds that if less than 1 of agricultural land was converted to solar panels it would be sufficient to fulfill global electric energy demand. When we use thin film technology a 1mw plant will require an average of 4 5 to 5 acres of land. The decision to transfer land use from agricultural production to solar panel electrical production solar farms should be made by careful examination of immediate and long term potential risks and benefits.

Installing solar panels on agricultural lands maximizes their efficiency. In other terms we can say that for each 1 kw of solar panels you need 100 sqft of an area on average. But like most engineering projects the installation of a solar farm is made simpler by breaking down the project into its component parts. Solar can be installed on marginal agriculture lands and provide a different source of revenue for the farm.

For example for a 1 mw solar power plant installation the solar farm land requirements would be around 4 acres when using a crystalline technology. Installation of solar panels on the scale required for a solar farm is a big task. Aug 19 2019 in raising crops a key factor is maximizing the solar energy that strikes the earth and it appears farmers are pretty good it. Solar can be installed with zero upfront capital cost through leasing.

Currently the transition seems a logical and profitable venture since payments made by contractors are much greater than revenue received from farmland rental.