Agrivoltaics and Aquavoltaics: Potential of Solar Energy Use in Agriculture and Freshwater Aquaculture in Croatia
Agrivoltaics and aquavoltaics combine renewable energy production with agriculture and aquaculture. Agrivoltaics involves placing solar panels on farmland, while aquavoltaics integrates photovoltaic systems with water bodies and aquaculture. This paper examines the benefits and challenges of agrivol...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/7/1447 |
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| author | Daniel Matulić Željko Andabaka Sanja Radman Goran Fruk Josip Leto Jakša Rošin Mirta Rastija Ivana Varga Tea Tomljanović Hrvoje Čeprnja Marko Karoglan |
| author_facet | Daniel Matulić Željko Andabaka Sanja Radman Goran Fruk Josip Leto Jakša Rošin Mirta Rastija Ivana Varga Tea Tomljanović Hrvoje Čeprnja Marko Karoglan |
| author_sort | Daniel Matulić |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Agrivoltaics and aquavoltaics combine renewable energy production with agriculture and aquaculture. Agrivoltaics involves placing solar panels on farmland, while aquavoltaics integrates photovoltaic systems with water bodies and aquaculture. This paper examines the benefits and challenges of agrivoltaics and aquavoltaics, focusing on their potential for Croatian agriculture and freshwater aquaculture. Benefits include dual land use, which allows farmers to produce clean energy while maintaining agricultural practices. They diversify renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. Solar panels in agrivoltaics provide shade, protect crops, reduce water needs, and increase yields. Challenges include high initial costs and limited accessibility, especially for small farmers. Integration with existing systems requires careful planning, considering irrigation, soil moisture, and crop or fish production. Maintenance and cleaning present additional challenges due to dust, debris, and algae. Policy and regulatory frameworks must support implementation, including incentives, grid integration, land use regulations, and conservation. The location, resources, and crops grown in Croatia present an opportunity for agrivoltaics and aquavoltaics, considering cultivation methods, species, and regulatory requirements. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:23:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5a456917472645f68e6218368b1d9f8d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:23:30Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj.art-5a456917472645f68e6218368b1d9f8d2023-11-18T17:54:02ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722023-07-01137144710.3390/agriculture13071447Agrivoltaics and Aquavoltaics: Potential of Solar Energy Use in Agriculture and Freshwater Aquaculture in CroatiaDaniel Matulić0Željko Andabaka1Sanja Radman2Goran Fruk3Josip Leto4Jakša Rošin5Mirta Rastija6Ivana Varga7Tea Tomljanović8Hrvoje Čeprnja9Marko Karoglan10Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska c. 25, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaFaculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska c. 25, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaFaculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska c. 25, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaFaculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska c. 25, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaFaculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska c. 25, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaInstitute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Put Duilova 11, 21000 Split, CroatiaFaculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Vladimira Preloga 1, 31000 Osijek, CroatiaFaculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Vladimira Preloga 1, 31000 Osijek, CroatiaFaculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska c. 25, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaWWF Adria, Gundulićeva 63, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaFaculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska c. 25, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaAgrivoltaics and aquavoltaics combine renewable energy production with agriculture and aquaculture. Agrivoltaics involves placing solar panels on farmland, while aquavoltaics integrates photovoltaic systems with water bodies and aquaculture. This paper examines the benefits and challenges of agrivoltaics and aquavoltaics, focusing on their potential for Croatian agriculture and freshwater aquaculture. Benefits include dual land use, which allows farmers to produce clean energy while maintaining agricultural practices. They diversify renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. Solar panels in agrivoltaics provide shade, protect crops, reduce water needs, and increase yields. Challenges include high initial costs and limited accessibility, especially for small farmers. Integration with existing systems requires careful planning, considering irrigation, soil moisture, and crop or fish production. Maintenance and cleaning present additional challenges due to dust, debris, and algae. Policy and regulatory frameworks must support implementation, including incentives, grid integration, land use regulations, and conservation. The location, resources, and crops grown in Croatia present an opportunity for agrivoltaics and aquavoltaics, considering cultivation methods, species, and regulatory requirements.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/7/1447agrivoltaicsaquavoltaicsCroatiawater evaporationdual land use |
| spellingShingle | Daniel Matulić Željko Andabaka Sanja Radman Goran Fruk Josip Leto Jakša Rošin Mirta Rastija Ivana Varga Tea Tomljanović Hrvoje Čeprnja Marko Karoglan Agrivoltaics and Aquavoltaics: Potential of Solar Energy Use in Agriculture and Freshwater Aquaculture in Croatia Agriculture agrivoltaics aquavoltaics Croatia water evaporation dual land use |
| title | Agrivoltaics and Aquavoltaics: Potential of Solar Energy Use in Agriculture and Freshwater Aquaculture in Croatia |
| title_full | Agrivoltaics and Aquavoltaics: Potential of Solar Energy Use in Agriculture and Freshwater Aquaculture in Croatia |
| title_fullStr | Agrivoltaics and Aquavoltaics: Potential of Solar Energy Use in Agriculture and Freshwater Aquaculture in Croatia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Agrivoltaics and Aquavoltaics: Potential of Solar Energy Use in Agriculture and Freshwater Aquaculture in Croatia |
| title_short | Agrivoltaics and Aquavoltaics: Potential of Solar Energy Use in Agriculture and Freshwater Aquaculture in Croatia |
| title_sort | agrivoltaics and aquavoltaics potential of solar energy use in agriculture and freshwater aquaculture in croatia |
| topic | agrivoltaics aquavoltaics Croatia water evaporation dual land use |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/7/1447 |
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