How do solar panels affect plant and pollinator communities?

They linked these effects on plant and pollinator communities to alterations of microclimatic conditions under PV panels such as changes in soil temperature, solar radiation, or soil moisture—which can be directly related to nectar production by plants.

Are vertically placed solar panels suitable for shade-intolerant crops?

Vertically placed Bifacial PV, transparent, and semitransparent tilted PVs can be suitable for shade-intolerant crops whereas opaque PVs are appropriate for shade-tolerant crops. The knowledge gap between various stakeholders such as solar PV researchers, agricultural researchers, and land users needs to be more rigorous.

How does a photovoltaic system affect soil evaporation?

Photovoltaic systems significantly alter the quantity and spatial distribution of soil water (Sturchio et al., 2022). The photovoltaic panels intercept large amounts of precipitation and may prevent the water from infiltrating the surface, but reduce the soil evaporation under photovoltaic panels (Armstrong et al., 2014).

Why are solar panels better than open field plants?

The reduction in direct sunlight exposure beneath the PV panels led to cooler air temperature during the day and warmer temperatures at night, which allowed the plant under the solar arrays to retain more moisture than the control crops that grew in open field planting area.

How do photovoltaic systems affect plants?

Photovoltaic systems alter these responses by changing the vertical distribution of soil water and nutrient, thereby affecting soil water and nutrient availability and the resource supply to plants (Choi et al., 2020). Moreover, shading of photovoltaic panels reduces the quantity of light reaching the ground and the plant canopy.

Which crops can be grown under PV panels?

Tomato, lettuce, pepper, cucumbers and strawberries are the most studied crops under PV panels (Fig. 5). The recent literatures for applications of selective shading systems on the aforementioned crops and others plants are reviewed in the following sections.