{"id":133486,"key":"Should_Agrivoltaics_Ever_Be_Decommissioned?_How_Agrivoltaics_Bolster_Farm_Climate_Adaptation_Even_When_Unpowered","title":"Should Agrivoltaics Ever Be Decommissioned? How Agrivoltaics Bolster Farm Climate Adaptation Even When Unpowered","latest":{"id":1273146,"timestamp":"2026-09-16T12:57:37Z"},"content_model":"wikitext","license":{"url":"https://www.appropedia.org/Appropedia:Copyrights","title":"CC-BY-SA-4.0"},"source":"{{Solar footer}}\n\n{{FAST notice}}\n\n[[File:Pvdecom.png|thumb]]\n\n{{Publication data\n| type = Research\n| cite-as = Jamil, U.; Pearce, J.M. Should Agrivoltaics Ever Be Decommissioned? How Agrivoltaics Bolster Farm Climate Adaptation Even When Unpowered. ''Sustainability'' 2025, 17, 9544. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219544 [https://www.academia.edu/144663616/Should_Agrivoltaics_Ever_Be_Decommissioned_How_Agrivoltaics_Bolster_Farm_Climate_Adaptation_Even_When_Unpoweredacademia OA]\n| year = 2025\n| location = Canada\n}}\n\n \nSolar photovoltaic systems now produce the lowest-cost electricity in history and coupling with agriculture in agrivoltaics increases crop yields. This indicates solar will continue to experience explosive growth. Concerns exist, however, about the long-term end-of-life decommissioning of solar farms. For example, due to fossil fuel decommissioning mismanagement, Alberta is inundated with orphaned oil and gas wells that have remediation cost estimates of CAD$100 billion. Such comparisons have prompted preemptive legislation targeting solar farms, but is the fear justified? This study addresses this question by (1) analyzing warranted and actual lifespans of key agrivoltaic system components, (2) experimentally measuring microclimate impacts of two agrivoltaic arrays (fully powered with electricity extraction and unpowered to simulate post-inverter-failure conditions) and (3) quantifying agrivoltaic yield gains based on crops previously shown to respond positively to such conditions. Experimental results indicate that unpowered photovoltaic shading not only moderates soil temperatures but also enhances soil moisture conservation relative to unshaded conditions. This study demonstrates that agrivoltaic systems, even after the cessation of power generation, can continue to deliver meaningful agronomic and economic value through passive shading and policy frameworks should adapt to this dual-use reality. Integrating agronomic co-benefits into decommissioning policy supports long-term farm productivity and climate resilience.\n \n* [[Open-Source Photosynthetically Active Radiation Sensor for Enhanced Agricultural and Agrivoltaics Monitoring]]\n\n{{Pearce publications notice}}\n\n== See also ==\n\n{{Pearce-agrivoltaics}}\n\n* [[Agrivoltaics Canada]]\n\n{{Page data\n| keywords = agriculture, agrivoltaic, Canada, farming, photovoltaic, solar energy, energy, solar power, photovoltaics, Land use, Dual use, Agrivoltaics, Partially transparent photovoltaics, Cadmium-telluride photovoltaics, Thin film PV, FAST Completed, climate policy, farming, thin film photovoltaic, partially transparent photovoltaic, Bifacial photovoltaic, energy policy\n| sdg = SDG02 Zero hunger, SDG07 Affordable and clean energy, SDG09 Industry innovation and infrastructure, SDG12 Responsible consumption and production\n| published = 2025\n| authors = User:Uzairjamil, User:J.M.Pearce,\n| organizations = Free Appropriate Sustainable Technology, Western\n| license = CC-BY-SA-4.0\n| language = en\n}}\n\n[[Category:Canada]]\n[[Category:Energy policy]]\n[[Category:Farming]]\n[[Category:Energy]]\n[[Category:Land use]]\n[[Category:Agriculture]]\n[[Category:photovoltaics]]\n[[Category:agrivoltaics]]\n[[Category:FAST Completed]]"}