Following global trends to seek the growth of sustainable energy, UFAL (Federal University of the State of Alagoas) is developing a project for the use of agrivoltaic systems in sugar cane plantations.
The person leading the research is Professor Ricardo Araújo from CECA (Agricultural Engineering and Sciences Campus) and financed by FAPEAL (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa de Alagoas).
In Araújo's assessment, the use of solar sources in this type of application contributes to reducing the emission of these gases, in addition to generating savings on the energy bill.
“Some forms of food and energy production emit greenhouse gases (GHG) that are responsible for climate change. Photovoltaic energy is recognized as a form of renewable energy and is experiencing exponential growth in Brazil”, said the researcher.
Development and results
O the project, which began in 2021, is carried out in partnership with Usina Santa Clotilde in the city of Rio Largo. It evaluates sugarcane production with three different densities of photovoltaic s. The average monthly generation is 9 MWh.
Araújo states that most agrivoltaic projects in the world seek to define the height and distance of the s to either not harm production, or to improve it.
“It is notable that the s installed over the plants produce shadows, so the key to the success of an agrivoltaic system is knowing how the chosen crop will respond to this new microclimate”, said the professor.
Monthly analyzes are carried out in which solar radiation, air and soil temperature, air humidity, wind speed and soil humidity of the microclimate created are observed.
He also said that in the first year, the results were positive in relation to traditional cultivation. In addition to energy generation, production was also greater.
However, Araújo also outlined some problems with implementing these systems with sugarcane cultivation. “With the height reached by sugarcane plants and mechanized harvesting, the s need to be very high, there is also the risk of accidents with large agricultural machines and possibilities of fire,” he said.
The researcher also re that sugarcane plants generally cogenerate energy by burning bagasse, a source of biomass. Therefore, sugarcane mills have the potential to expand the use of renewable energy sources and store them at times of low electrical demand.
Future of the project
The research will continue with the analysis of this system and monitoring its evolution. Araújo said that other studies are being designed in Alagoas, but with other crops. The new studies focus on the semi-arid region, where agrivoltaic systems can improve water use.
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