The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is growing rapidly. According to an industry report, more than 50% of new online content was created by AI in 2025, writes theconversation.com.
All this AI consumes a huge amount of energy. It puts a strain on power grids, raises the cost of electricity for consumers, and disrupts large-scale power grid planning.
And the “AI energy crisis” is deepening. The International Energy Agency forecasts that by 2030, global electricity demand from data centers will double, exceeding Japan’s current electricity consumption.
At the same time, solar photovoltaic technology, which uses the sun’s energy to generate electricity, offers the cheapest energy in the history of the planet. This sector is developing rapidly.
However, both solar and artificial intelligence projects threaten to take over valuable agricultural land, sparking public protests.
New research conducted by a team led by Joshua M. Pierce—a professor in the John M. Thompson Chair in Information Technology and Innovation at the University of Western Ontario—shows that “agrovoltaics,” in which land is used for both electricity generation and food production, could be a very promising solution.
The researchers found that agrivoltaics is a viable way to meet the growing energy needs in the U.S. while simultaneously increasing food production.
In Canada, agrivoltaics could generate enough electricity to completely eliminate the need for fossil fuels in the power grid, using less than 1% of the country’s farmland.
What is it?
Agrovoltaics allows farming communities to generate electricity using photovoltaic panels while continuing to produce food, sometimes with even higher yields than before.
The study examined two types of agrivoltaics—vertical and single-axis solar panels with trackers—since both types can be integrated into most farms without disrupting core operations.
Vertical agrivoltaic systems are essentially fences made of solar panels. They are spaced far enough apart to allow farmers to drive tractors, combine harvesters, and other equipment along the rows of the field without hitting them.
Agrovoltaic systems use the same principle—only the distance between the panels is increased. However, trackers follow the sun’s position and, as a result, generate more energy from each panel. In agricultural applications, they are mounted vertically, just like fences.
Both of these types of solar agrivoltaic systems have virtually no impact on the amount of sunlight reaching the crops, making them well-suited for most crops.
Favorable Microclimate
Several studies of a wide variety of crops, including basil, broccoli, celery, chile peppers, corn, maize, lettuce, pasture grass, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, and wheat, have shown that agrivoltaics can increase crop yields. For example, the strawberry yield in Ontario increased by 18% in a typical year.
This is because agrivoltaic solar panels can create a “shading effect,” forming a favorable microclimate in which plants are partially protected from the sun, heat, and wind.
This protective effect depends on the weather. For example, agrivoltaics typically benefit lettuce, but last year’s hot summer amplified this effect, resulting in a fresh weight increase of more than 400% compared to control plants without shading and more than 200% compared to the national average yield.
Reducing Fossil Fuel Dependence
The study used data on energy consumption by data centers at the U.S. state level and modeled the potential for electricity generation using agrivoltaics.
The study examined what portion of the digital sector’s demand could realistically be met through agrivoltaics. It also examined how much agricultural land would be required for solar energy investments to cover the load from artificial intelligence in the U.S. states where the largest data centers are located.
The study’s results showed that vertical agrivoltaics requires only 0.003% to 2% of agricultural land in the target states. That is practically nothing. Single-axis trackers require even less—from 0.001% to 0.548%.
The energy crisis associated with artificial intelligence in the United States could be prevented by installing single-axis trackers on a maximum of 0.5% of the land area in states that are less agriculturally developed.
Canada is in an even more advantageous position—by using less than 1% of its agricultural land, the country could produce enough electricity to completely phase out fossil fuels. This would cover energy for everything, not just artificial intelligence.
A Dual Source of Income
Agrovoltaics preserves jobs in agriculture, increases food supply, and significantly boosts farmers’ incomes thanks to the high value of the solar electricity produced.
It offers a dual source of income: one from the sale of agricultural products, and the other from the sale of electricity or offsetting the farmer’s electricity needs.
It’s no surprise that agrivoltaics is growing rapidly, and the market has already reached over $14 billion globally. Even the Vatican now runs on agrivoltaic energy.
A Solution for Moldova?
In the Republic of Moldova, there are no restrictions on installing solar panels on agricultural land, as there are in the province of Ontario, Canada. Photovoltaic systems can be installed without changing the land’s designated use. However, there are strict environmental restrictions to protect the soil:
– No permanent foundations. Concrete construction is strictly prohibited on agricultural land. Installation must be carried out on piles or above-ground structures that can be easily dismantled.
– Preservation of soil fertility. Structures must not interfere with soil maintenance. As a rule, the areas beneath the panels continue to be used for grazing livestock or are left planted with grass.
– Procedure. There is no need to reclassify the land from agricultural to energy use, which significantly simplifies the bureaucratic process of installation.
Many farmers in Moldova are already using solar panels for their own needs as part of the Net Billing program.
This allows them to: meet their own electricity needs (irrigation pumps, refrigeration equipment, warehouses); feed surplus power into the grid and use the accumulated kWh during peak seasons (for example, in the summer during active irrigation); obtain “Eligible Producer” status and sell surplus energy to the public grid at guaranteed rates.
It remains to explore the agrivoltaic options discussed in a study by Canadian researchers: vertical and single-axis solar panels with trackers, which can be integrated onto most farms without inconveniencing farmers or causing crop losses.
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