Blending agriculture and solar could benefit Nova Scotia, experts say

Using solar panels on farmland could yield many benefits for Nova Scotia, according to renewable energy advocates. 

Agrivoltaics, a term that blends the words agriculture and voltaic cells, is the dual use of land for solar energy and farming. It's used in countries such as Germany, China, Japan, France and the United States and some believe there's potential for it here.

"I think in Nova Scotia we do have warmer, wetter, wilder weather," said Rochelle Owens, who has worked as a solar consultant for several organizations over the last 35 years. 

Owens led a presentation at the Atlantic Canada Solar Summit in Halifax this week about how solar panels can protect crops from heavy rain or hail, provide livestock shade in extreme heat and reduce the stress of droughts.

She said it could also add revenue for farmers and help Nova Scotia cut greenhouse gas emissions by becoming less dependent on fossil fuels.

Solar energy is growing in Nova Scotia, but Owens said agrivoltaics doesn't have a presence in the province yet.

There are now more than 10,000 solar installations in Nova Scotia, according to the non-profit group that's trying to build up solar infrastructure in the province. That's up from 8,000 this time last year and just 200 in 2018.

"Farmers in Nova Scotia have been real leaders on the uptake of solar," said David Brushett, board chair of Solar Nova Scotia. "There's a real strong interest among the agricultural sector in solar."

Twenty-nine per cent of the province's land is classified as agriculture, according to the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture.

Brushett said there's a lot of interest from farmers to take the next step and combine solar with their farming practices.

"Agrivoltaics, I think, has a big part to play in Nova Scotia," said Geoff Larkin, climate change adaptation co-ordinator. "Solar is huge right now and to graze cattle and sheep underneath them I think is a really innovative way to adapt to climate change."

Larkin, who owns a cattle farm in Middle Musquodoboit, N.S., said he would like to see more education about agrivoltaics and collaboration between government and interested parties to outline the best ways for farmers to invest in materials.

Potential pilot project at Dal's agriculture campus

There are several questions about how agrivoltaics would work best for Nova Scotia farmers, but Dalhousie University's agricultural campus in Truro, N.S., could help answer them, according to an official with the school.

Stephanie MacPhee, executive director of the university's Office of Sustainability, said they've already done some research that shows agrivoltaics would have no effect on 11 of the 26 crops grown at the agricultural campus and actually increase the yield for 10 crops.

MacPhee, who was also part of the presentation at the solar summit, said they're interested in doing a pilot project at the Truro campus that could be used as a roadmap for Nova Scotia.

"Showcase this technology, figure out what works, what doesn't work, invite members of the community to see the project and maybe kind of inspire more interest in this type of work," she said.