Date of Project
5-1-2024
Document Type
Honors Thesis
School Name
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Environmental Science
Major Advisor
Dr. Martha Carlson Mazur
Abstract
An agricultural system where solar energy generation and agricultural systems are used together for mutual benefit, agrivoltaics reduces loss of water due to evaporation, particularly in drylands. Central California has faced extreme droughts, and water has become a scarce resource. However, the wide-scale use of agrivoltaics has been limited due to lack of knowledge about agrivoltaics and also the lack of funding for start-up agrivoltaics projects. Therefore, this research investigated the potential for agrivoltaics in Central California to reduce irrigation water consumption using a review of multiple crop studies using agrivoltaics to determine an optimal crop for agrivoltaics and a high revenue crop in California. A Suitability Model was created using Geospatial Information Systems software by comparing climate conditions and crop location to determine areas suitable for agrivoltaics. This study looked at policies on agrivoltaics and provided possible inclusions to future bills, in order to better incentivize agrivoltaics installation. Agrivoltaics could be a potential solution to water scarcity in California by reducing irrigation water usage, ultimately providing resiliency for tomato crop farms during drought conditions and decreased water supply.
Recommended Citation
Camba, London, "The Effect of Agrivoltaics on Irrigation Water Consumption in Central California" (2024). Undergraduate Theses. 147.
https://scholarworks.bellarmine.edu/ugrad_theses/147
Included in
Environmental Health and Protection Commons, Hydrology Commons, Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons, Sustainability Commons, Water Resource Management Commons