A Criterion of Crop Selection Based on the Novel Concept of an Agrivoltaic Unit and M-matrix for Agrivoltaic Systems

Abstract

Associating solar photovoltaic panels with crop cultivation on the same land area can be called as agrivoltaic systems (AVS). It will achieve a 60 to 70 percent increase of the overall land productivity in AVS, showing high production potential and a field of study with great research value. The aim of the present study is to solve the problem that how to determine appropriate crops for different areas under solar panels. First, for the convenience of analyzing an AVS, we suggest that a representative small part of the whole system, that is, an agrivoltaic unit (AVU), can be defined to describe the characteristic the characteristic of the whole system, which is suitable for various types of AVS. Then, the novel concept of a multiparameter-matrix (M-matrix) is proposed and modeled as the description of the specific climate factors of an AVS. The application of the AVU and M-matrix is also essential for those mixed production systems combining agriculture and buildings, such as city viaduct greening, plant factory, etc. Finally, the suitability model of crops for AVS is established, and winter wheat is selected as an example for calculation. A criterion is given as the theoretical foundation of crop selection. This idea opens new areas of research in AVS.