Hosseini et al. (2026) Food, Energy, and Health Implications of Agrivoltaic Farms

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-01
• Authors: Erfan Hosseini, Gabriel George Katul, Majdi R. Abou Najm, André Daccache, Sujith Ravi, Kelly Mae Heroux, Gavin Chaboya, Chong Seok Choi, Elie R. Bou-Zeid
• DOI: 10.1029/2025ms005588

Research Groups

• University of California, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
• University of Minnesota, Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
• Rutgers University, Department of Environmental Sciences

Short Summary

This study introduces a multiphysics model to design and optimize agrivoltaics (AV) systems for specific crop types, micro-environments, and panel configurations. The model predicts various benefits of AV, including reduced daytime panel temperature, increased thermal energy recovery, and decreased transpiration losses.

Objective

• Investigate the feasibility of a holistic modeling framework for optimizing AV systems

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Local to regional scale (farm level)
• Temporal Scale: Diurnal to seasonal scale

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Multiphysics model incorporating momentum, energy, and mass exchanges among interacting components
• Data sources: Field data from California and Minnesota, weather data from central New Jersey

Main Results

• 5.6°C reduction in average daytime panel temperature compared to a common photovoltaic installation
• 15% recovery of thermal energy losses
• 31% decline in net carbon assimilation despite a 47% reduction in light
• 1.84°C cooling of crop leaf temperature during the day
• 22.4% reduction in transpiration losses compared to an open crop field
• 4.46°C reduction in average perceived temperature experienced by workers during working hours

Contributions

This study contributes a novel multiphysics model for optimizing AV systems, enabling integrated assessment and optimization of benefits across varying climates, crops, and photovoltaic technologies.

Funding

• This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (Award #XXXXX)
• Additional funding provided by the University of California's Agricultural Experiment Station

Citation

@article{Hosseini2026Food,
  author = {Hosseini, Erfan and Katul, Gabriel George and Najm, Majdi R. Abou and Daccache, André and Ravi, Sujith and Heroux, Kelly Mae and Chaboya, Gavin and Choi, Chong Seok and Bou-Zeid, Elie R.},
  title = {Food, Energy, and Health Implications of Agrivoltaic Farms},
  journal = {Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2025ms005588},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025ms005588}
}