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* UURING: Tubakafarmerid teeniksid rohkem, kui asendaksid põllud päikesepaneelidega [http://www.pealinn.ee/tagid/koik/uuring-tubakafarmerid-teeniksid-rohkem-kui-asendaksid-pollud-n213048 Pealinn (Estonia)]
* UURING: Tubakafarmerid teeniksid rohkem, kui asendaksid põllud päikesepaneelidega [http://www.pealinn.ee/tagid/koik/uuring-tubakafarmerid-teeniksid-rohkem-kui-asendaksid-pollud-n213048 Pealinn (Estonia)]
* 美国研究表明可将烟田转为太阳能农场 [http://www.tobaccochina.com/guoji/shichangdt/20183/2018320152220_765834.shtml Tobacco China]
* 美国研究表明可将烟田转为太阳能农场 [http://www.tobaccochina.com/guoji/shichangdt/20183/2018320152220_765834.shtml Tobacco China]
 
* Farmerzy z Michigan zamieniają „farmy raka” na farmy fotowoltaiczne (Michigan farmers are turning 'cancer farms' into solar farms) [http://swiatoze.pl/farmerzy-michigan-zamieniaja-farmy-raka-farmy-fotowoltaiczne/ Swiatoze (Poland)]
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Revision as of 04:13, 21 March 2018

Source

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Abstract

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology represents a promising method to prevent dangerous global climate change, however full solar penetration demands substantial surface areas, possibly encroaching on arable land. To avoid repeating the mistakes of previous attempts to convert agricultural land to energy, arable land currently used for crops with known health hazards can be considered for conversion. Tobacco is the leading cause of avoidable death globally, and despite increasingly stringent controls on tobacco, economics provides an incentive to continue tobacco production. However, with the economics of PV ever improving, this study investigates the potential economic benefits of photovoltaic conversion of farms during tobacco's decline. This study analyzes key factors influencing conventional tobacco farming economics in the U.S. over a sensitivity of realistic future values. Then tobacco crop profit is compared to a sensitivity analysis covering the profits of solar PV farming on the same land. The results show that considering existing electric prices, escalation rates, and installed costs, PV farm substitution for tobacco farming makes economic sense in many U.S. cases already. In a case study of North Carolina, 30GW of PV power capacity was found to be economically viable on existing tobacco farms and if conversion took place over 2000 premature deaths could be prevented from pollution reduction alone. This meets the State's peak summer loads. Land use policies are discussed to facilitate such land use conversions for the benefit of the economy, the environment and human health.

Highlights

  • Large arable land conversion to solar PV farms to meet growing demand.
  • Decline in tobacco farming economics, potential arable land for PV farming.
  • Growing PV economics, sensitivity analysis on tobacco and PV farming key factors.
  • Calculation of tobacco and PV farming profit over 25 years with various sensitivities.
  • Many cases where PV farming is more profitable than tobacco farming.

Keywords

Agriculture; Photovoltaic; Farming; Solar farm; Economics Land use; Economic impact; Tobacco

Method

See also other papers looking for land area for PV

In the News

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  • Farm Sunshine, Not Cancer: Replacing Tobacco Fields with Solar Arrays -

Micihgan Tech News 15,027 Science Daily 4,922 Eureka Alert 31,108 NewsWise Techxplore Scien Mag Laboratory Equipment Ag Daily Solar Daily Sonnensiete Tech Century

International

  • Los inesperados beneficios de sustituir plantaciones de tabaco por granjas solares PV Magazine Latin America (Spanish)
  • Pestujme energiu, nie rakovinu – Náhrada tabakových plantáží solárnymi panelmi - Zaujímavý Svet (Slovak)
  • Farmen: Solar statt Tabak würde sich lohnen Prikk
  • سود بیشتر کشاورزان از برداشت نور خورشید به‌جای itresan(15939) Persian
  • UURING: Tubakafarmerid teeniksid rohkem, kui asendaksid põllud päikesepaneelidega Pealinn (Estonia)
  • 美国研究表明可将烟田转为太阳能农场 Tobacco China
  • Farmerzy z Michigan zamieniają „farmy raka” na farmy fotowoltaiczne (Michigan farmers are turning 'cancer farms' into solar farms) Swiatoze (Poland)
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