Daniel Niemann of AP News reports on one German farmer who is growing apples under solar panels.
- Christian Nachtwey, a German orchard farmer, chose to grow his apples trees under solar panels to give the apple trees much needed shade and to diversify his income stream.
- In Europe and North America farmers are increasingly looking to implement Agrivoltaic methods, which uses land for both traditional agriculture and renewable energy generation.
- Nachtwey is using the electricity that his solar panels produce to power local homes and is partnering with researchers to determine what apples grow best under his panels.
“Researchers hope the tests will show that tree fruit crops thrive under solar panels. This could help prevent renewable energy production from competing for precious land with agriculture — a growing concern for those seeking to tackle climate change and rising food prices.”
Read the full article here.
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