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It is a modular system made up of several 20 cm “rings” that, when stacked on top of each other, form a structure up to 2.5 m high, the optimal size for growing around 80 plants per m2.
The Electrical Machines & Drives (EM&D) Research Group at the National University of Colombia (UNAL) has designed a prototype of a system that combines solar panels and towers in which vegetables grow using rainwater.
This proposal seeks to implement solar panels on crops to take advantage of solar energy without sacrificing the area intended for agriculture. In this way, every square meter can be used to produce food and generate energy at the same time.
The initiative by engineer Sebastián Cáceres and professor Javier Rosero, from the Faculty of Engineering, is in an initial prototyping phase and the idea is to create hydroponic cultivation towers where vegetables such as lettuce, chard and spinach grow in water instead of soil.
The tower consists of a modular system, composed of several 20 cm rings that, when stacked on top of each other, form a structure up to 2.5 metres high, the optimal size for growing around 80 plants per m2, compared to the 10 plants possible in a traditional planting.
But beyond optimising space, the aim is also to prevent farmers from having to work in uncomfortable positions, such as constantly bending over, which is common in traditional cultivation systems. Thanks to the modular and vertical structure of the towers, access to the plants is facilitated and fatigue is reduced.
Furthermore, the system is being designed to collect rainwater to further maximise the use of resources in agricultural production areas. Although it is intended for vegetable crops, it can also be applied to other needs. “For example, in Ubaté (department of Cundinamarca), a dairy municipality par excellence, solar panels could be installed on the areas where the cattle are and thus energy and milk would be produced at the same time,” explain the researchers.
One of the main challenges of this technology is the shadow that solar panels cast on crops, as it can reduce productivity. That is why UNAL researchers are exploring alternatives, such as semi-transparent solar panels that allow a greater amount of light to pass through to the crop, and therefore reduce this possible negative impact.
The next phase in the development of the system will focus on carrying out resistance and durability tests that are essential to ensure that the structures of the towers and solar panels can withstand the environmental conditions of the municipality of Cundinamarca, which has heavy rains and moments of intense winds. |
