| Work Detail |
Scientists from India and Spain have built a 1.8kW agrovoltaic facility to grow chillies under photovoltaic modules. The proposed project design is described as an insect-proof mesh agrovoltaic house that could be used for all crops requiring rigorous pest management.
A research group at India’s Vellore Institute of Technology has designed an agrivoltaic system that incorporates an insect-proof net to protect crops that require pest control, such as chillies. “Agrivoltaic systems may not be suitable for some crops that require stringent pest management,” the scientists say. “Normal agrivoltaic systems fail to control pests and insects, which further reduces crop yields.”
The scientists conducted a techno-economic analysis of what they call an insect-proof mesh agrovoltaic house that accommodates the growth of chillies. The 1.8 kW system was built at the Junagadh Agricultural Universitys experimental research farm in the Indian state of Gujarat. As part of this setup, 12 photovoltaic panels, each with a capacity of 150 W, were installed in a checkerboard pattern to minimise shading on the plants and on a three-metre structure to allow tractor movement.
“Solar azimuth and latitude angles determine the distance between panel rows, which the researchers set to 1.37 m to facilitate panel cleaning and maximize solar radiation. The panels are spaced 0.67 m apart to create a checkerboard-like structure,” the team explains. “The structural components are fabricated from cold-rolled coil (CRC) tubing of various dimensions.”
To protect the crop from pests, a 40-mesh insect net with 40 openings per inch was used. They used 105.80 m2 of netting, which cost Rs 3,174 ($37.62). The CRC tubes cost Rs 27,700, the photovoltaic panels Rs 39,600, and the inverter and wiring Rs 18,000. The materials used totaled Rs 88,474, or $1,048.67.
The crops are grown in a dry and humid tropical environment, with temperatures ranging between 28ºC and 38ºC in summer, while average solar radiation ranges between 5 and 8 kWh/m2/day. In winter, temperatures typically range between 10ºC and 25ºC.
The techno-economic analysis conducted by the academics showed that the systems electrical efficiency peaked at 14.09% in February. Its land equivalency ratio (LER) was calculated at 1.97, meaning the facility has almost doubled a single-use growing facility. It produced 3,612 kWh of electricity, equivalent to 109.57 kWh/m2.
“The system contributes to reducing carbon emissions and provides the farmer with an additional income of Rs 174.63/m2. Farmers enjoy a net profit of Rs 95.26/m2 for the entire season,” the academics add. “The cost-benefit ratio of the insect-net greenhouse is 2.20, which is much higher than that of traditional greenhouses. This is attributed to the ability of farmers to generate income from sustainable and clean electricity, unlike greenhouses where income is solely dependent on food production.”
The system was presented in “ Development of agrivoltaic insect net house to enhance sustainable energy-food production: A techno-economic assessment,” published in Results in Engineering . The research was carried out by scientists from Vellore Institute of Technology (India), Junagadh Agricultural University, Centurion University of Technology and Management and Francisco de Vitoria University (Spain). |
