Wheat is harvested from strips lined with vertical solar panels at the Next2Sun solar park in Germany
Knoblauch GmbH/Next2Sun
The rapid drop in price of solar panels means they are beginning to appear in unexpected places, from balconies to motorway embankments. Now, researchers say they could play the role of hedgerows in farm fields, with double-facing solar panels generating electricity while acting as windbreaks for crops and livestock.
Farmers are already installing solar panels, often placing the panels at an angle over crops or allowing sheep to graze between the panels. But such installations, known as agrovoltaics, can cause excessive shading…
