With Agrivoltaics, China Is Crushing Trump's Fossil Fuel Dreams

The article highlights China’s advancements in agrivoltaics—a system combining solar panels with agricultural activities—as a significant challenge to the fossil fuel ambitions championed by former US President Donald Trump. Chinese solar firm GCL is pioneering this approach by integrating farming with solar energy production on the same land, improving land use efficiency and sustainability. Unlike earlier solar installations that covered land with gravel or sand, agrivoltaics promotes soil health, water conservation, and crop growth under partial shade, making previously unproductive or marginal lands viable for farming and energy generation simultaneously. This approach also offers economic benefits, especially for farmers facing financial hardships, by providing additional income through solar leases. GCL has developed a suite of four key technologies to enhance agrivoltaic efficiency: bifacial solar panels that capture sunlight from both sides and can be installed vertically; tunable panels allowing adjustable light transmission to crops; elevated racks with tracking systems to optimize sunlight capture while accommodating farming activities; and advanced AI-driven system management that integrates weather data