IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i4p3228-d1063972.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Agrivoltaic Potential of Canada

Author

Listed:
  • Uzair Jamil

    (Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B9, Canada)

  • Abigail Bonnington

    (Department of Civil and Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada)

  • Joshua M. Pearce

    (Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B9, Canada
    Ivey Business School, Western University, London, ON N6G 0N1, Canada)

Abstract

Canada has committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by increasing the non-emitting share of electricity generation to 90% by 2030. As solar energy costs have plummeted, agrivoltaics (the co-development of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and agriculture) provide an economic path to these goals. This study quantifies agrivoltaic potential in Canada by province using geographical information system analysis of agricultural areas and numerical simulations. The systems modeled would enable the conventional farming of field crops to continue (and potentially increase yield) by using bifacial PV for single-axis tracking and vertical system configurations. Between a quarter (vertical) and more than one third (single-axis tracking) of Canada’s electrical energy needs can be provided solely by agrivoltaics using only 1% of current agricultural lands. These results show that agrivoltaics could be a major contributor to sustainable electricity generation and provide Canada with the ability to render the power generation sector net zero/GHG emission free. It is clear that the potential of agrivoltaic-based solar energy production in Canada far outstrips current electric demand and can, thus, be used to electrify and decarbonize transportation and heating, expand economic opportunities by powering the burgeoning computing sector, and export green electricity to the U.S. to help eliminate their dependence on fossil fuels.

Suggested Citation

  • Uzair Jamil & Abigail Bonnington & Joshua M. Pearce, 2023. "The Agrivoltaic Potential of Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-26, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:4:p:3228-:d:1063972
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/4/3228/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/4/3228/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dupraz, C. & Marrou, H. & Talbot, G. & Dufour, L. & Nogier, A. & Ferard, Y., 2011. "Combining solar photovoltaic panels and food crops for optimising land use: Towards new agrivoltaic schemes," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 2725-2732.
    2. Benjamin K. Sovacool, 2009. "Exploring and Contextualizing Public Opposition to Renewable Electricity in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 1(3), pages 1-20, September.
    3. Valle, B. & Simonneau, T. & Sourd, F. & Pechier, P. & Hamard, P. & Frisson, T. & Ryckewaert, M. & Christophe, A., 2017. "Increasing the total productivity of a land by combining mobile photovoltaic panels and food crops," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 1495-1507.
    4. Bhandari, Khagendra P. & Collier, Jennifer M. & Ellingson, Randy J. & Apul, Defne S., 2015. "Energy payback time (EPBT) and energy return on energy invested (EROI) of solar photovoltaic systems: A systematic review and meta-analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 133-141.
    5. Amaducci, Stefano & Yin, Xinyou & Colauzzi, Michele, 2018. "Agrivoltaic systems to optimise land use for electric energy production," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C), pages 545-561.
    6. Elamri, Y. & Cheviron, B. & Lopez, J.-M. & Dejean, C. & Belaud, G., 2018. "Water budget and crop modelling for agrivoltaic systems: Application to irrigated lettuces," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 440-453.
    7. Mohammad Al-Saidi & Nisreen Lahham, 2019. "Solar energy farming as a development innovation for vulnerable water basins," Development in Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(5), pages 619-634, July.
    8. Wustenhagen, Rolf & Wolsink, Maarten & Burer, Mary Jean, 2007. "Social acceptance of renewable energy innovation: An introduction to the concept," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 2683-2691, May.
    9. Joshua M. Pearce, 2022. "Agrivoltaics in Ontario Canada: Promise and Policy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-20, March.
    10. Dias, Luís & Gouveia, João Pedro & Lourenço, Paulo & Seixas, Júlia, 2019. "Interplay between the potential of photovoltaic systems and agricultural land use," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 725-735.
    11. Denholm, Paul & Margolis, Robert M., 2008. "Land-use requirements and the per-capita solar footprint for photovoltaic generation in the United States," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(9), pages 3531-3543, September.
    12. Joshua M. Pearce & Nelson Sommerfeldt, 2021. "Economics of Grid-Tied Solar Photovoltaic Systems Coupled to Heat Pumps: The Case of Northern Climates of the U.S. and Canada," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-17, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hayibo, Koami Soulemane & Pearce, Joshua M., 2023. "Vertical free-swinging photovoltaic racking energy modeling: A novel approach to agrivoltaics," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Uzair Jamil & Joshua M. Pearce, 2022. "Energy Policy for Agrivoltaics in Alberta Canada," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-31, December.
    2. Joshua M. Pearce, 2022. "Agrivoltaics in Ontario Canada: Promise and Policy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-20, March.
    3. Pascaris1, Alexis S. & Schelly, Chelsea & Rouleau, Mark & Pearce, Joshua M., 2021. "Do Agrivoltaics Improve Public Support for Solar Photovoltaic Development? Survey Says: Yes!," SocArXiv efasx, Center for Open Science.
    4. Mamun, Mohammad Abdullah Al & Dargusch, Paul & Wadley, David & Zulkarnain, Noor Azwa & Aziz, Ammar Abdul, 2022. "A review of research on agrivoltaic systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    5. Junedi, M.M. & Ludin, N.A. & Hamid, N.H. & Kathleen, P.R. & Hasila, J. & Ahmad Affandi, N.A., 2022. "Environmental and economic performance assessment of integrated conventional solar photovoltaic and agrophotovoltaic systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    6. Chelsea Schelly & Don Lee & Elise Matz & Joshua M. Pearce, 2021. "Applying a Relationally and Socially Embedded Decision Framework to Solar Photovoltaic Adoption: A Conceptual Exploration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-18, January.
    7. Edouard, Sylvain & Combes, Didier & Van Iseghem, Mike & Ng Wing Tin, Marion & Escobar-Gutiérrez, Abraham J., 2023. "Increasing land productivity with agriphotovoltaics: Application to an alfalfa field," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 329(C).
    8. Mohd Ashraf Zainol Abidin & Muhammad Nasiruddin Mahyuddin & Muhammad Ammirrul Atiqi Mohd Zainuri, 2021. "Solar Photovoltaic Architecture and Agronomic Management in Agrivoltaic System: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-27, July.
    9. Krexner, T. & Bauer, A. & Gronauer, A. & Mikovits, C. & Schmidt, J. & Kral, I., 2024. "Environmental life cycle assessment of a stilted and vertical bifacial crop-based agrivoltaic multi land-use system and comparison with a mono land-use of agricultural land," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    10. Sahoo, Somadutta & Zuidema, Christian & van Stralen, Joost N.P. & Sijm, Jos & Faaij, André, 2022. "Detailed spatial analysis of renewables’ potential and heat: A study of Groningen Province in the northern Netherlands," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 318(C).
    11. Schindele, Stephan & Trommsdorff, Maximilian & Schlaak, Albert & Obergfell, Tabea & Bopp, Georg & Reise, Christian & Braun, Christian & Weselek, Axel & Bauerle, Andrea & Högy, Petra & Goetzberger, Ado, 2020. "Implementation of agrophotovoltaics: Techno-economic analysis of the price-performance ratio and its policy implications," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    12. Casares de la Torre, F.J. & Varo, Marta & López-Luque, R. & Ramírez-Faz, J. & Fernández-Ahumada, L.M., 2022. "Design and analysis of a tracking / backtracking strategy for PV plants with horizontal trackers after their conversion to agrivoltaic plants," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 537-550.
    13. Cuppari, Rosa I. & Higgins, Chad W. & Characklis, Gregory W., 2021. "Agrivoltaics and weather risk: A diversification strategy for landowners," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 291(C).
    14. Lee, Sangik & Lee, Jong-hyuk & Jeong, Youngjoon & Kim, Dongsu & Seo, Byung-hun & Seo, Ye-jin & Kim, Taejin & Choi, Won, 2023. "Agrivoltaic system designing for sustainability and smart farming: Agronomic aspects and design criteria with safety assessment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    15. Chopdar, R.K. & Sengar, N. & Giri, Nimay Chandra & Halliday, D., 2024. "Comprehensive review on agrivoltaics with technical, environmental and societal insights," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    16. Trommsdorff, Max & Hopf, Michaela & Hörnle, Oliver & Berwind, Matthew & Schindele, Stephan & Wydra, Kerstin, 2023. "Can synergies in agriculture through an integration of solar energy reduce the cost of agrivoltaics? An economic analysis in apple farming," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 350(C).
    17. Pascaris, Alexis S. & Gerlak, Andrea K. & Barron-Gafford, Greg A., 2023. "From niche-innovation to mainstream markets: Drivers and challenges of industry adoption of agrivoltaics in the U.S," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    18. Pascaris, Alexis S., 2021. "Examining existing policy to inform a comprehensive legal framework for agrivoltaics in the U.S," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    19. Fernández-Solas, Álvaro & Fernández-Ocaña, Ana M. & Almonacid, Florencia & Fernández, Eduardo F., 2023. "Potential of agrivoltaics systems into olive groves in the Mediterranean region," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 352(C).
    20. Cuppari, Rosa Isabella & Branscomb, Allan & Graham, Maggie & Negash, Fikeremariam & Smith, Angelique Kidd & Proctor, Kyle & Rupp, David & Tilahun Ayalew, Abiyou & Getaneh Tilaye, Gizaw & Higgins, Chad, 2024. "Agrivoltaics: Synergies and trade-offs in achieving the sustainable development goals at the global and local scale," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 362(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:4:p:3228-:d:1063972. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.