Qualitative Analysis of Potential Locations for Agrivoltaic System Implementation on Dalhousie’s Agricultural Campus in Truro, Nova Scotia

Abstract

Given that the energy sector contributes to over one-third of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, there is a clear need to transition away from unsustainable fossil fuels to a more renewable-energy-powered world. One source of renewable energy that has recently received attention for its energy generation capabilities is photovoltaics (PV), or solar energy. However, large-scale photovoltaic systems often take up a lot of valuable land, which, with increasing global food insecurity and a growing population, poses challenges for justifying the allocation of land resources to the energy sector instead of for agricultural purposes. Agrivoltaics is a relatively novel technique of farming that combats this issue; these systems pair the installation of solar panels with shade-tolerant crops underneath, therefore minimizing the wasted space while still satisfying the need to transition to cleaner energy sources. Dalhousie’s Agricultural Campus (AC) located in Truro, Nova Scotia, offers a promising location for the implementation of agrivoltaic systems as it supports successful agricultural practices and has suitable land and space for PV systems. The use of agrivoltaics on the AC would help Dalhousie satisfy their Green Building plans and reach their goal of 100% renewable energy by 2030. Previous student research groups have identified shade-tolerant crop species that could successfully grow in the shaded-regions underneath the solar panels. Building on this previous research, our project aims to identify suitable locations on the AC where agrivoltaic systems could be implemented to both satisfy energy requirements for proximal building operations and support successful production of shade-tolerant crops. Qualitative data was collected through focus group discussions with Truro campus staff and coded using NVivo software to determine key benefits, limitations, and considerations regarding agrivoltaics. Twenty locations were suggested and the energy generation potential of a PV system at each site was calculated using the website PVWatts. From this, eight ideal locations were chosen and further analyzed based on their proximity to buildings, energy capacity, and space constraints. The Demonstration Garden was chosen as the top location for current implementation of an agrivoltaics pilot project which could the provide real-life analysis of agrivoltaic potential on the AC and inform further research regarding the potential for large-scale implementation of these systems.