Modeling of large-scale integration of agrivoltaic systems: Impact on the Japanese power grid

Abstract

The emerging potential of agrivoltaics prompted this study. We analyzed the potential value of large-scale integration of agrivoltaic technology in rural farming areas in Japan. Optimal power grid scenarios for agrivoltaics were developed using linear programming. We evaluated the effect of a storage battery system and expanded transmission line capacities using a temporal resolution of 8760 h for all regions in Japan. The output suppression was also investigated when the technology was implemented in rice paddy areas or in equivalent land areas (35% of the total cultivated land; 35TCL). The effects of using batteries and/or expanding the transmission line capacities with different crop densities in each region were analyzed to minimize the total power system costs and to compare overall CO2 emissions. Findings suggest that installation of agrivoltaics is more efficient in the rice paddy field than 35TCL because of the crop distribution across all regions in the country and its proximity to high energy demanded regions. In optimizing agrivoltaic integration, results suggest concurrent utilization of agrivoltaic with expanded transmission lines and utilized battery storage have underscored the beneficial effects of agrivoltaics in power grid planning to efficiently control excess output from agrivoltaics and reduce CO2 emission than utilizing transmission capacity and battery storage with agrivoltaics separately. Concrete spatial plans can ensure the stability of the grid and enhance the integration of renewable energy as a primary power source.