As farmers, very like everybody else, wrestle with the price of dwelling, having farmland leased out by power firms can typically look like a very good choice.
On the one hand, whereas not essentially impacting precise meals manufacturing, the choice to lease land for photo voltaic panels is commonly tough for farmers. “Farmers have an emotional attachment to their land,” Lucy Bullock-Sieger, VP for technique at US renewables firm Lightstar Renewables, informed FoodNavigator.
Alternatively, the transactions typically present farmers with a dependable stream of revenue in a time when prices are excessive.
“Research within the US and Europe have proven that agrivoltaics tasks present crops below the array safety from early and late frosts, scale back the quantity of water required for irrigation, and enhance soil well being over time, leading to elevated meals yields,” Bullock-Sieger informed us.
Moreover, in keeping with Sarah Webb, Enterprise Improvement Director for UK-based renewable power firm Anesco, utilizing farmland for photo voltaic panels may enhance biodiversity. “We at all times attempt to reinforce the biodiversity of any land we develop,” she informed us. “For instance, we’ll create habitats for essentially the most at-risk wildlife and hen species. One website we just lately developed noticed a 100% enchancment.”
