Solar panels in farm settings, known as agrivoltaics, typically have been over pasture, rangeland or fairly low-value crops.

“The reason that has happened is there’s a kind of perceived conflict between the solar installation and the agricultural use,” said Chad Kruger, assistant director of the WSU Tri-Cities Institute for Northwest Energy Futures.

But what if solar arrays could actually boost the value of tree fruit harvests and replace shading and evaporative cooling systems?

WSU aims to find out with a new project.

The university’s Institute for Northwest Energy Futures has received a $2.4 million grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce to demonstrate the economic and agricultural feasibility of solar panels in apple orchards during production.

The grant will fund a 1-acre 610 kilowatt dynamic agrivoltaic demonstration system at the WSU Sunrise Research Orchard near Wenatchee, Wash.

Construction is planned for spring and arrays will be installed over fruit-bearing and newly-planted apple trees.

“There should be a lot of publications coming out of this in the next two to 20 years,” Kruger said.

Dual purpose system

The dual-use system is being designed to provide strategic shading to help reduce summer sunburn risks while also generating solar power for agricultural operations and to also feed power into the grid.

“If mitigation practices are not in place, up to 50% of the fruit can be affected by sunburn,” said Stefano Musacchi, tree fruit endowed chair in tree fruit physiology and management in the WSU department of horticulture.

Dynamic agrivoltaic, where solar panels tilt, can also reduce water use, reduce tree stress and improve fruit quality.

Kruger said sensors and artificial intelligence can optimize the panel position for fruit production and energy generation.

Experiments also will run with the panels in a fixed position.

European partners

French company Sun’Agri, which constructs solar panel systems and the software that controls them, is a partner in the project.

Sun’Agri operates solar arrays in orchards, vineyards and berry fields in Europe. That continent is ahead of North America with solar as an alternative electrical source because of energy prices, Kruger said.

“They grow a lot of similar crops, but they don’t grow them all the same way under the same types of conditions. It’s important to do that here, too,” Kruger added.

Research from WSU’s project potentially could be applied to wine grapes, blueberries, pears and cherries and other Pacific Northwest crops.

Cornell and Rutgers researchers are planning similar studies in apple orchards.

Reducing carbon footprint

The solar panels might help mitigate the impacts of climate change, which is having a growing impact on apple growing regions.

Demand for zero-carbon foods and renewable energy also could move agriculture into electrifying with solar panels more aggressively if that can be proven effective and economical, Kruger said.

“Part of the reason we’re looking at this is our industry is getting quite a bit of pressure from retailers around carbon footprints. … One way our growers can really reduce emissions associated with production is by becoming producers of renewable energy,” Kruger said.

There could be additional benefits.

Agrivoltaics could be a viable and self-reliant way to power irrigation pumps, frost-inhibiting wind machines, automated robotics and electric tractors.

Arrays could power tools and machinery that have relied on diesel or propane, Kruger said.

More solar, apple coverage

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Trade wars, competition shrink apple exports over past decade

USDA awards renewable energy grants to 29 Northwest projects

SUN POWER: As Oregon soaks up solar power, farmland shrinks