The Effect of Surface Cover Vegetation on the Microclimate and Power Output of a Solar Photovoltaic Farm in the Desert
Abstract
Part of a commercial solar PV farm in a desert location was modified by planting low-rise surface cover crops in the spaces between the rows and beneath the solar panels. In two test plots of about 0.22 hectares each, modifications to the microclimate resulted in lower air temperature, higher humidity and reduced radiant loads on the lower face of the panels compared to a control plot that was not modified. PV panel temperature in the planted test plots was up to 4.5oC lower, resulting in an average increase over the summer of electricity output of 1.2%. The crop yields beneath a partly shaded area beneath the panels was about 70% of the yield in fully exposed areas of the site, but the Land Equivalent Ratio of the test plots was 1.67. Keywords: panel temperature, desert, pilot study, field experiment