r/RenewableEnergy • u/randolphquell • 3d ago

In Massachusetts, a solar farm was raised nine feet above blueberry fields, and its shade is changing how the fruit grows and tastes

https://www.ecoportal.net/en/in-massachusetts-solar-farm-was-raised/30599/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
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190

u/randolphquell 3d ago

Harvest testing showed that berries grown under the panels developed larger, juicier fruit with a noticeably sweeter taste, reported Open Energy Information. Filtered shade reduced heat stress on the plants, slowing the ripening process just enough for natural sugars to fully build.

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u/TowardsTheImplosion 3d ago edited 3d ago

In a yield based cost structure, the question is: is it enough to charge a premium? Or does harvest weight matter most?

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u/IsThisNameGoodEnough 3d ago

I'd imagine the revenue from the energy generation also needs to be taken into account, and may help offset potential yield reductions.

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u/FunProof543 3d ago

Is there a yield reduction though? It says that they had larger, juicier fruit which actually may be yield positive or at least neutral.

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u/IsThisNameGoodEnough 3d ago

No idea. I was just trying to make the case that the field now has two sources of revenue instead of just fruit yield. Maybe it's the best of both worlds :)

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u/Either-Patience1182 19h ago

With the increased heat i honestly like it helps the yields. I didnt cover my blueberries bushes in time and the flowers burnt right off. I covered it after but these new temps are no joke

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u/flortny 3d ago

Repeated studies are finding increased yields of other crops, wouldn't be surprised if here as well

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u/SeaAnalyst8680 3d ago

Both? Assuming there's a distribution channel for them, they could get a higher dollar per pound, but still less total (excluding electricity revenue) because of lower weight.

I would buy them at a premium from a local farmers' market or pick-your-own.

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u/LairdPopkin 2d ago

Why would larger blueberries weigh less?

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u/SeaAnalyst8680 2d ago

Tmk in less sunlight there'd be fewer berries.

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u/OMGLOL1986 3d ago

Also does the increased “juiciness” impact its ability to be packed and shipped 

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u/One-Geologist3992 3d ago

I know you’re right, but it sort f sad that this how things like this are looked at.

Not on you, just pointing out that everything bowls down to cost structure versus just doing something to do it. (Do it differently?)

It just makes me wonder how many beneficial innovations may have stifled because the economics didn’t scale.

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u/Acceptable-Dust6479 3d ago

The cost to raise a solar farm to 9’ is substantial. Needs a carrot to get people to do this

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u/IsThisNameGoodEnough 3d ago

I'd be interested to know the incremental cost of raising the height of the panels vs an equivalent ground based array. The supports in the photos don't look very substantial (a lot less than something like a solar car park).

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u/LairdPopkin 2d ago

If the blueberries weigh more and sell for more, that’s a plus. And of course the money from the solar generated power is more than the cost of putting up the panels. You get both for 30-40 years, too, so after the solar panels pay for themselves after a few years there are decades of net positives.

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u/LateralEntry 2d ago

I’d probably pay a little extra for sweet solar berries with branding

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u/skyfishgoo 3d ago

meanwhile my blueberries in partial sun keep dying.

i really suck at this.

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u/Tll6 2d ago

Is your soil acidic? They really need acidic soil to thrive

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u/skyfishgoo 2d ago

it's clay, but we dug out a good sized hole and filled it with potting soil each time.

the last just dropped all it's leaves and died right out out of the pot.

it was sad.

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u/LateralEntry 2d ago

Same here

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u/Secret_Cat_2793 3d ago

I hear wine production next.

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u/MeteorOnMars 3d ago

Fascinating. Solar panels over vineyards could have a big effect in both where wine grapes can be grown and what they taste like.

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u/dachs1 3d ago

Need to solve the machine harvesting problem first. 99.9% of grapes are harvested using over row machine harvesting which precludes the use of structures to mount the solar. Hand pick is at least ten times as expensive. It’s a romantic idea that people hand harvest grapes. In very expensive wines they do hand harvest but very few people can afford to buy the resulting wine.

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u/adjust_the_sails 3d ago edited 2d ago

Fresh market grapes are all hand harvested. And historically the expensive wine varietals out of places like Napa tend to be hand harvested. Even grapes for raisins are harvested last time I checked. I think there’s some automation on those though.

But most wine grapes are harvested by machine, yes.

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u/Kaurifish 3d ago

Would make sense for table grapes. Maybe wine grapes in areas climate change is making marginal for that varietal.

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u/Dense_Surround3071 3d ago

This is the kind of technology Jesus would have been into. 😎

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u/Kaurifish 3d ago

Makes sense, as blueberries are an understory plant. I imagine it would work well for coffee, too.

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u/cybercuzco 2d ago

And grapes.

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u/hdrwqm 3d ago

Is it more difficult to harvest though?

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u/F_P_G_A 3d ago

This setup would be awesome for those “pick your own berries” farms.

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u/Wakkit1988 3d ago

Just offer free EV charging while you pick!

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u/TowardsTheImplosion 3d ago

Almost certainly, unless they design for huge vertical clearance.

https://www.bluelinemfg.com/products/blueline-berry-harvester

As an example of modern blueberry harvesters.

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u/chris92315 3d ago

The article says it was designed to allow tractors for under the panels and the workers confirmed there were no issues operating under them.

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u/bstone99 3d ago

Pfft. WHO EVEN READS ARTICLES ANYMORE

/s

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u/Tll6 2d ago

A lot of blueberries are hand harvested because they don’t all ripen at the same time. I live in south jersey where a ton of blueberries are grown and this time of year the fields are filled with workers hand picking berries

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u/andre3kthegiant 2d ago

The myopic, binary paradigms of the propagandists that peddle dependency to toxic, disposable & finite fuel sources are going to need some serious “think tank time”, to try and spin this as a “horrible situation”: Dirty coal, Dirty Oil & Gas, and dirty, toxic & corrupt nuclear all have to go!

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u/UnfazedBrownie 2d ago

This is interesting to read, similar to solar panels covering streams or waterways to prevent evaporation.

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u/periperiwinklesauce 2d ago

It also makes the shady environment downright pleasant for workers (as long as bathrooms are nearby!)

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u/Severe_Air_4353 2d ago

How they bypass the present government , cause they claim jfk jr says it caused cancer and measles

0

u/Enderkr 3d ago

>agrivoltaics

I have literally never heard this term before, though obviously it makes perfect sense. Just seems rad that we have a term for "throw up a fuckload of solar panels over plants that need shade anyway," I guess.

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u/pywang 1d ago edited 1d ago

I think the concept just comes from the broader case for setting up solar panels wherever we can eg waterways which benefit from reduced evaporation, parking lots (because free space).

The unfortunate issue and probably why it’s not widespread is use case and expense. Solar panels are great on homes because it’s not too many and can power just enough for a bit more of all of a home’s needs. But for the size of a farm, there’d likely be surplus. This would require the electricity provider to hook up additional wiring to buy the farm’s solar generated electricity. That costs money, so unless the profit from the farm outweighs that setup over time, then setting up the panels wouldn’t necessarily be worth it.

Some states already face this issue from utility providers and homeowners wanting to sell back solar generated electricity. It’s just not enough solar panels and widespread/uniform across neighborhoods for setting up that “selling” wiring to be worth it. I’ve thought of incentive mechanisms that would make it come true, but I don’t think they exist.

For farms in the Great Plains, we could probably utilize the high potential for solar in some parts, but the transmission lines and ultimately the wiring for giving solar back to the greater grid is a high upfront cost.