Agro PV Project // Solar Energy for a Sustainable Agriculture
Three photovoltaic plants were installed on agricultural crops of the Metropolitan Region, with the purpose of contributing to the efficient use of the soil, the stability of energy supply, the generation of solar energy and the reduction in the carbon footprint of agricultural products. The project is a pioneer in Latin America and was supported by the Innovation Fund for the Competitiveness of the Metropolitan Regional Government.
This project is not done under an explicit Nexus perspective, but it can be seen as focussed on the interrelation between water, energy and agriculture.
Deployment of photovolatic technology in agro-business increases the competitiveness of the horticultural sector, since it allows to take advantage of the high level of solar radiation existing in the Metropolitan Region, incorporating renewable energies in the rural electricity supply, without altering the use of land for agricultural production or generating losses of arable land.
Although the installation of photovoltaic panels on agricultural crops generates greater shading, the typical agricultural crops are not affected by the implementation of an agro-photovoltaic system, since the increase of humidity under the panels can be a positive factor, since that could decrease the loss of water present in the soil.
Project Innovations
- Efficient use of soil
- Advantages for crops
- Generation of energy
- Agricultural products with added value