An agrivoltaic park enhancing ecological, economic and social benefits on degraded land in Jiangshan, China.

Agrivoltaics has a great potential to solve the dilemma of land competition and renewable-energy development. However, it is still being discussed whether the co-location of agriculture and solar photovoltaic (PV) can balance the bi-directional goals of clean energy development and agricultural production. This study demonstrated a practical model of agrivoltaic park operation that had improved the land productivity in terms of economy, ecology, and society. The Jiangshan 200MW on-grid solar park integrated with agriculture is located on barren land, which was degrading due to soil erosion. This agrivoltaic park aims to achieve the triple win of combating land degradation, increasing agricultural profitability, and developing the PV industry. The Jiangshan agrivoltaic park has developed the business model of Integration of Three Industries and the multilayer planting technology approach of the Trinity to improve the efficiency of land utilization and has achieved a triple win in terms of economic, social, and ecological benefits. Eventually, through regulated operation and management of agrivoltaic park, the unproductive land has been transformed into high-yield land. The operational model adopted in Jiangshan agrivoltaic park has provided an example for other regions to emulate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]