OT? - Crops under solar panels

[Jeff Layman]

Maybe one for Harry's allotment?

[Chris Hogg]

Awful lot of unused space down to grass between the rows of panels. If they did it properly they'd plant something there.

[The Natural Philosopher]

not enough sunlight.

[GB]

I think they wanted distinct plots for the experiment - hence the very wide space between them.

The idea is that some crops benefit from the shade from the panels, particularly in arid areas. Probably wouldn't work in the UK, but the experiment described in the article was in the US South West.

[alan_m]

Possibly a problem with harvesting to make it commercially viable.

[The Marquis Saint Evremonde]

In this country the farmers graze sheep on their solar farms. In this way they can farm the solar energy subsidies while telling HMRC that the land is still in agricultural use and is thus exempt from inheritance tax. They'd even claim the single farm payment on it as well if they could, but that did get stopped AIUI.

[nightjar]

Around here, they graze sheep on the grass between the panels.

[Andrew]

Sheep

[harry]

A single row of widely spaced panels is not shading much. I can't think of a single crop that would benefit from shading in the UK

[tim...]

the one in Manston village has sheep roaming alongside

tim

[tim...]

apparently tea plants like to be shaded

tim

[Chris Hogg]

Some camellias do better in light shade, but apparently not Camellia sinensis, as witnessed by these tea plantations

[The Natural Philosopher]

Why would anyone have a single row of widely spaced solar panels?

You are trying to capture ALL the sunlight in your precious land area, leaving none for crops.

[Brian Gaff]

Mushrooms? Brian

[harry]

Which is why the best place for them is on roofs.

[Andrew]

But not in the UK, anywhere

[harry]

They work perfectly well in the UK

[Andrew]

Nope. Uneconomic without subsidy bribes.