La agrivoltaica mejora la eficiencia productiva en la investigación en España

Researchers from the University of Seville and the Polytechnic University of Madrid published the results of their study on how combining regulated deficit irrigation with agrivoltaics affected tomato crop production. They found that utilizing regulated deficit irrigation on tomatoes in the field reduced water consumption by 50% but also decreased production by about 20%. However, when tomatoes planted in the shade of solar panels received regulated deficit irrigation, the agricultural efficiency of the land, as measured by the Land Equivalent Ratio, increased to 1.54 in Madrid and 1.67 in Seville. Growing tomatoes and generating energy on the same plot of land increases the system’s profitability and sustainability beyond the efficiency of conducting either activity on separate plots. The researchers say that adding soil moisture sensors to the system could further optimize production.