Spectrally selective modules for agrivoltaics

Abstract

Agrivoltaics, the co-location of photovoltaics (PV) and agriculture where the PV is adapted to needs of agricultural production, is a valuable approach to help deliver the clean energy transition and is increasingly being deployed globally. When thoughtfully deployed, agrivoltaic installations can provide benefits to both energy and food production as well as the rural communities in which they are located. In order to adapt photovoltaics for optimal use in the most promising horticultural agrivoltaic applications commercial semi-transparent PV modules are required. Here, we review existing commercial and emerging semi-transparent PV technologies proposed for agrivoltaic applications. Performance comparison of the available PV technologies indicates partially populated c-Si modules with transparent substrates will be the dominant semi-transparent agrivoltaic technology for the foreseeable future. Therefore, we suggest that significant research effort should be devoted to developing methods that introduce spectral selectivity in these modules; with the objective of redirecting portions of the solar spectrum not required by crops for photosynthesis, particularly the near infra-red, to the c-Si cell matrix for conversion to electricity. A design concept to achieve this in a commercially viable format is proposed.