| Work Detail |
Swedish researchers have measured barley yields in a vertical agrivoltaic installation and found that, despite the shading created by the modules, yields are comparable to, if not slightly higher than, open field control conditions. Their methodology can be replicated for other locations and crops.
Researchers at Mälardalen University in Sweden have investigated the effects of a vertical agrivoltaic (VAP) system on barley yield and nutrient content in Sweden during the 2023 growing season.
“The dataset shows that barley grown under the vertical APV system has comparable yields to open field control conditions despite increased shading due to the vertical panels,” lead author of the research, Silvia Ma Lu, told pv magazine . “The dataset includes details on grain and straw yield, protein content and starch levels, along with meteorological and solar irradiation data from the growing season.”
“Summer 2023 was characterised by extreme contrasts, with dry and hot weather in June, and heavy rains in July and August,” added co-author Pietro Campana. “More specifically, it was observed that the average barley yield in all the different areas of the vertical agrivoltaic system was higher than that of the control area, but not statistically significant.”
The scientists carried out their analysis on a vertical agrovoltaic system located at Kärrbo Prästgård near Västerås, Sweden. For their assessment of barley yield, they took into account parameters such as nitrogen content, crude protein levels, grain yield, straw yield, starch content in grains and thousand grain weight (TKW). The results were compared with those of a reference plot without the PV systems.
Samples were collected by hand five centimetres from the ground on 7 September 2023, with each sample corresponding to a square surface of 0.25 m2. The fresh weight of the samples was measured immediately after cutting. The samples were then dried at 60°C for 24 hours and weighed again to determine the dry matter (DM) content.
"The grain and straw yields were then calculated," the researchers explained. "An approximation of the same amount of water content in the grains and straws at the time of cutting was assumed."
The group said the proposed methodology can be replicated for other locations and crops.
Their findings were presented in the article “ Data on the effects of a vertical agrivoltaic system on crop yield and nutrient content of barley ( Hordeum vulgare L. ) in Sweden ”, published in Data in Brief . “The findings support further research into VCT systems, for example for the validation of crop models. They also foster collaboration through the sharing of data from field experiments,” said Ma Lu.
Another research team at Mälardalen University recently developed an algorithm to optimize electricity production in agrovoltaic installations with vertically mounted bifacial photovoltaic modules.
Other researchers from the same university created a procedure to identify and classify areas suitable for the installation of agrovoltaic systems. |
