While agrivoltaics is taking shape in China, Europe and Japan, it is still in its infancy in Southern Africa with the potential to improve water and energy security.

In South Africa, agrivoltaics could leverage the need for renewable energy and intensive commercial farming for the rehabilitation of damaged land and polluted water in Mpumalanga, to provide industrial, agricultural and potable water, food, quality jobs and energy in a sustainable, circular economy for local communities.

Agrivoltaics leverages the just transition, small business development and job creation in a way that is an order of magnitude greater than solar photovoltaic (PV) alone.

“This makes agrivoltaics uniquely appropriate for the just transition in South Africa and the region,” said EE Business Intelligence founder Chris Yelland.

"All in all, integrating renewable energy solutions in the agri-food and water supply chains can greatly bolster water and energy security, decrease cost volatility, reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions and contribute to long-term food sustainability," added International Renewable Energy Agency country engagement director Gurbuz Gonul.

EE hosted the first in a series of webinars on agrivoltaics on May 4.

Agrivoltaics entails using the same area of land to obtain both solar energy and agricultural production. The solar panels effectively co-exist with crops on the same surface, which bodes well for plants that need less light or those that can deliver high yields.

The solar panels can generate power for precision agriculture equipment, which, in turn, improves plant productivity through optimal soil and water conditions.

Agrivoltaics reduces GHG emissions from farming operations, as well as land use, which helps to preserve biodiversity. In many cases, the panels provide physical protection for crops and improve the microclimate of the farming operation.

The PV panels can also serve as infrastructure for the support of vine crops.

Hot, arid and semi-arid regions are particularly suited for agrivoltaics. On non-arable land, or with unsuitable climates for crops, the ground beneath the solar panels can be used for livestock grazing.

Renewable Energy Solutions for Africa Foundation representative Paulo Cutrone explained that Africa’s future lay in renewable energy, if it was to ensure universal access to electricity, not just for the energy in and of itself, but also for the development of markets, jobs and social impact.

“As Africa grows and urbanises, the demand for basic resources is set to multiply. We have an entanglement between food, water, energy security and jobs, to which agrivoltaics poses a solution.”

Cutrone highlighted that the infrastructure related to agrivoltaics allowed for the incorporation of rain harvesting strategies and other efficient water-use initiatives.

Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Systems associate researcher Brendon Bingwa pointed out that the current installed capacity of agrivoltaic operations worldwide was 14 GW.

The institute has helped to form the standards for planning and operating agrivoltaic systems, including that land loss owing to PV installation should not exceed 15%, and should not erode soil during construction.

Additionally, crop yield should be at least 66% compared with a local reference yield.

Bingwa listed the key challenges to greater adoption of agrivoltaics as being high capital expenditure requirements, a lack of clear policy – on the African continent, the fact that it was not suitable for all crop types and other field management implications, such as the need for specialised equipment to work around the solar panels.

As it stands, agrivoltaic systems work well with potatoes, certain grape varieties, hops, spinach, lettuce, field beans and legumes, as well as onion, cucumber and zucchini to a lesser extent.

However, it does not work with wheat, corn, pumpkin, sunflower, broccoli or millet, as these crops tend to be more sunlight intensive.

Holistically, agrivoltaics have many benefits to offer the continent, in that it creates jobs and effects economic growth, all while providing clean energy.

University of Sheffield research associate Dr Richard Randle-Boggis concluded that Africa’s livelihood in the form of food, energy and water security was the greatest benefit offered by agrivoltaics.

An example of an agrivoltaics installation in South Africa is that of Sun Farming, done in 2015, in Potchefstroom. It involves a 3 000 m² area with three greenhouses, with netting areas, growing vegetables and herbs and undertaking aquaculture underneath PV panels.