Agrivoltaics (combined solar farms and crops) Explained

Interesting case for combining these two land uses for mutual benefits - wide acceptance comes down to who owns the solar farm and what compromises are acceptable. 

https://youtu.be/lgZBlD-TCFE

3:40 not all available sunlight can be converted into biomass - after a defined saturation point is reached, plants can't absorb any more sunlight and have to get rid of the excess energy by evaporating water. 

Hence, 5:01, in particularly hot years, yields in agrivoltaic fields can exceed reference fields. 

5:15 Crops such as lettuce, tomatoes, spinach and potatoes are shade-tolerant and do well in agrivoltaic applications. 

7:30 irrigation under solar panels was reduced by 50% compared to the (adjacent) reference field. And, evaporation from the plants helped keep the solar panels cool, closer to their optimum running temperature. 

9:25 suggested rules for deploying agrivoltaics: deploy them where synergistic effects can be achieved, like reducing irrigation requirements, and 2. have the farmer, or some local cooperative, own the solar panels. 

Also, solar grazing uses animals to keep growth trimmed under solar cells, instead of an expensive lawn-cutting team. https://youtu.be/T6PEk_OZUmI