Solar power generation is allowed on arable land

Can solar power be used on arable land?

Building PV on arable land can alleviate the conflict between people and land and promote sustainable social development [96, 97]. In Gansu, China, a 1.61-ha PV farm grows crops like cilantro, peppers and tomatoes, using panels to reduce evaporation and save over 50 % water.

Is solar energy a good option for land use?

However, recent studies based on satellite views of utility-scale solar energy (USSE) under operation, either in the form of photovoltaics (PV) or concentrated solar power (CSP), show that their land use efficiency (LUE) is up to six times lower than initial estimates 17, 18, 19.

How much land do solar power plants use?

For direct land-use requirements, the capacity-weighted average is 7.3 acre/MWac, with 40% of power plants within 6 and 8 acres/MWac. Other published estimates of solar direct land use generally fall within these ranges.

Can solar power be built on large areas of land?

However, the construction of solar facilities on vast areas of land involves clearing and grading, which can lead to soil compaction, changes in drainage patterns, increased erosion, fragmentation of agroecosystems, and the destruction of plant and animal habitats 7.

Which countries use mainly arable land for solar projects?

This structure is based on observed tendencies for solar siting in Europe, India, Japan and South-Korea (see Table S2 in SM), showing that mainly arable land is used for current USSE projects, and supported by academic literature 17, 33, 34, 57, 58 and solar industry reports 59, 60.

Should a farmer own the land for a solar PV system?

In many cases, however, the land is not owned by the farmer. Ownership of the PV system is probably less common for larger agrivoltaic systems as well, increasing the likelihood of external investments. Partial ownership could help to maintain the incentive structure for the synergetic dual use of land in this case.