solar

India needs more crops and solar energy than any other country. So you are installing solar panels in height

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When a solar energy company offered Harpal Dagar a fixed pay for 25 years in exchange for installing solar panels on their cultivation fields, he thought it could be a scam. Today he says that his income has tripled and sleeps quieter. “Too good to be true.” That was what this Indian farmer thought when the company Sun Master proposed to install elevated solar panels on its land on the outskirts of Delhi. I could continue working the land and, in return, would receive an annual payment for 25 years. According to a report of BBC NewsDagar had lost entire crops because of the Monzones, so he accepted the installation of the panels to have fixed income. “Today I think it was the best decision I have made,” he told the British environment. Harvest food and energy at the same time. The systems that combine agriculture with solar energy generation in the same land have a name: agrovoltaic. And in the most populous country in the world they are emerging as the most promising solution to produce clean energy without sacrificing the land necessary to feed the population. The agrovoltaic part of a simple idea: take advantage of the vertical space. Instead of choosing between a crop field or a solar park, They both haveonly that photovoltaic panels are mounted on high structures, at a height of at least three and a half meters so that tractors and other agricultural machinery can pass below. India cannot do without cultivation soil. In India more than 55% of the population It depends on agriculture. As the country approaches the 1.7 billion people in 2050, it will have to produce about 350 million tons of grain At the same time, India has pledged to meet ambitious climatic objectives that will require dedicating solar and wind energy between 55,000 and 77,000 square kilometers of land. According to a report from Mongabay Indiaagrovoltaic would resolve this paradox of “food security vs. access to energy”. Not everything that shines is gold. Sun Master pays Harpal Dagar about $ 500 per hectare per year, plus a monthly salary of 170 dollars for the maintenance of the panels. Dagar cultiva turmeric, which benefits from the microclimate created by the solar panels. Its shadow protects the cultivation of extreme heat and decreases water evaporation, reducing irrigation needs. It is not always beneficial. Depending on their disposition, solar panels reduce between 15 and 30% the light that reaches plants. This makes basic cultures that need a lot of sun, such as wheat, rice or soybeans, are not viable. Anand Jain, another farmer who has experienced with the system, says he succeeded with strawberries and tomatoes, but “the cauliflower did not work so well.” The green leafy vegetablesginger and some flowers have also benefited. The slow takeoff from agrovoltaic. The adoption of agrovoltaic in India is being slow, especially compared to China, which has 12 times more projects in operation. Incompatibility with some crops is one of the problems, but there is an even greater financial problem: raising panels more than three meters from the ground has a price. The installation of an agrovoltaic system is between 20 and 30% more expensive than that of a conventional solar park. Small farmers cannot afford these systems, so they depend on companies with capital that want to rent their land with a 25 -year contract. Technology will solve some challenges. For companies to be willing to assume that risk, more efficient and profitable systems are already being developed. “Farm-Forward” solar panels with More space between panel ranks to maximize the entry of light and further facilitate the step of machinery. And new software to simulate how much light and heat receives each sheet, how it affects photosynthesis and, ultimately, what performance of the harvest. The potential is simply gigantic. A GIZ technical report He estimates that agrovoltaic in India can point to a capacity of between 3,156 and 13,803 gigawatts. To put it in perspective, the total installed capacity of photovoltaic energy worldwide is 2 GW. In Xataka | One of the most arid areas in China is reverde. The reason: a plant with seven million solar panels

Mediterranean countries seemed ideal for solar panels. Until the dust storms arrived

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The Mediterranean has always been seen as a privileged land for solar energy: abundant sun, large extensions and A clear commitment to renewables. However, two factors that come from the south and of the climate change are putting this equation in check: the dust storms of the Sahara and the sustained increase in temperatures. The short. A new study warns that Sahara dust can reduce solar production in southern Europe by up to 50 %. Work, Posted in Renewable Energy magazine By the Hun-Ren Research Center of Astronomy and Earth Sciences of Hungary, analyzes the episodes between 2019 and 2023 in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece. More in depth. To reach these conclusions, the scientists resorted to a data arsenal: the forecasts of the European Network of Transport Systems Operators (ETSO-E), NASA MERRA-2 reanalysis, the European database Copernicus Cams V4.6 and satellite cloud and aerosols. Thus they were able to evaluate time and daily how dust alters solar irradiance and, therefore, the ability of panels to produce electricity. The additional finding is worrying: the current photovoltaic forecasts for the next day usually fail. In Spain and Portugal they tend to underestimate the real loss of energy (up to 15% less than expected), while in Italy and Greece the opposite occurs, with overestimations of up to 10%. A problem that aggravates. Saharan dust is not a new phenomenon, but climate change is intensifying both its frequency and its reach. And Spain, as a study of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) warns collected in Xatakait is a true “hot point” of European warming. In the last 50 years, temperatures have increased 3.27ºC in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, more than double the Mediterranean mean. Summer has extended 36 days, rainfall has decreased almost 20% and desertification advances by regions such as Murcia, Almería or Alicante. The scenario for 2050 is a country with steppe or even almost desert climate in much of its territory. If Spain becomes a warmer and more dry desert, dust storms will be more frequent and its impact on even greater solar energy. Is there a possible solution? Until now, the great enemy of conventional solar panels was not only dust, but also heat. As we have developed in Xatakafor each degree above 25ºC, traditional plaques lose between 0.05% and 0.34% efficiency, which can translate into falls from 10 to 25% in very hot days. But a recent study by Laughborough University proposes a script turn: The so -called photoelectocrochemical flow cells (PEC). This experimental technology not only supports heat, but takes advantage of it, with an optimal point around 45ºC. In addition, it does not require active cooling, which lowers installation and maintenance costs. In parallel, startups like the Australian Coolsheet They are developing Passive cooling hybrid systems that cool the panels and, at the same time, heat water for industrial or domestic use. Every 10º less on the plate can be 4% more electrical efficiency. Beyond the results. The research is not limited to more solar panels, but that It must be integrated In the new photovoltaic, more forecast of dust effects, improve real -time monitoring and design technologies that convert heat and extreme conditions into allies, not enemies. Spain and the Mediterranean advance towards a scenario in which the sun will be more abundant, but also more hostile. The future of solar energy is to accept this paradox: it is not just about installing panels, but of adapting them to a changing climate, full of dust, heat and drought. Scientific research, technological innovation and political planning must go hand in hand so that the sun remains the solution, and does not become part of the problem. Image | Eduardo Milla and Unspash Xataka | We believed that the Sahara was going to “eat” Almería and Murcia in the future. Some researchers believe that it will reach Mallorca

Emptied Spain has been filled with solar mills and panels, but waste energy for a simple reason: there are no cables

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At noon, the sun and the wind are left over in the emptied regions. At dusk, the cities turn on the gas. Spain has run more than anyone raising renewables in the unpopulated territory, but the cables that take them to the demand are not tended at the same speed. The result is a broken bridge: clean energy is born in emptied Spain and does not arrive, when it is necessary, urban Spain. Today, for the first time, the distributors have published the “Map of Plug” for new demand: the photo is stark. The expected map. By mandate of the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC), the great distributors —I-de (Iberdrola), e-Distribution (Endesa), UFD (Naturgy), E-Redes (EDP) and Repsol Distribution— They have published the capacity maps To connect new firm demand to the distribution network. It is an radiography where they show, knot to knot, where there is a hole, what is busy and what is in process. According to the employer Aelēcthe first results confirm that 83.4% of knots are already saturated, which prevents connecting new consumptions such as industries, data centers, storage or electric vehicle recharge. The association itself defines it as “transparency milestone”, but warns that, under these conditions, without investment, the transition is raised. The great territorial neck. Here is the core of the problem. Spain has installed renewables where there is resource and soil: rural regions with low density and little network. However, demand grows in cities: metropolitan areas, logistics corridors, data clusters. In the middle there is an electrical system that does not endure that mismatch, since transport corridors are missing to evacuate surpluses and, above all, distribution capacity to connect the new demand where it is requested. The result is that at noon there are many cheap MWh that are cut or sold at zero price; When the sun falls, the network needs support and the gas enters, Based on pool. The double face of emptied Spain. If the anticipatory network is not remunerated and planned, there will be no industries, CPDs, or recharge of electric vehicles, or hydrogen or storage projects that create employment and set population. But if investigated without criteria, the cost will fall on rates without effective use. The key is agile planning, clear priorities and mechanisms that accelerate reinforcements where demand is plausible: poles such as Aragon, but also Extremadura, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha or inner Andalusia, where hot knots and curtailment-up to 30% renewable wasted by saturation– They are already common. The demand boom. There is a very illustrative fact: The increase in data centers. Applications to get an access point have multiplied by 80 compared to previous years, According to the Spanish. Among them are technological, great consumers and promoters of hybrids that seek to consume in situ. Aragon has become an epicenter. Only the projected data centers would add more than 2 GW of requested power, with Amazon Web Services, Microsoft or QTS/Blackstone at the head. In this new scenario, the race for a “plug” is no longer limited to first: weigh guarantees, guarantees and project criteria. “Historic traffic jam.” The “complete maps” – without significant hollows – stress even more the pulse with the CNMC. The fear of the sector is double: losing industrial and digital projects (including CPDs) for not being able to connect them and see investment relocation if the jam persists. The electricity story connects that urgency with the regulated remuneration: they argue that with a rate of 6.46% the volume of reinforcements required by the demand wave required, and remember that in other countries (Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden) the reference rates are higher; In Spain, they ask around 7.5%. For its part, the CNMC two proposals presented in July: a financial compensation rate of 6.46% by 2026-2031 (from current 5.58%) and a new distribution methodology that turns towards the Totex model (CAPEX + OPEX). This system includes incentives for efficiency and quality, and league part of the remuneration to the contracted power, to avoid overrredes that end up paying consumers. The regulator insists that the framework must encourage investment without compromising the affordability of the invoice. The forecasts. Access to the distribution network no longer depends only on the order of arrival. The processing requires guarantees, technical draft and guarantees, and a period of one month to present the documentation after reserving a point. The resolutions should be issued in less than six months, with technical support for Red Electric. In addition, scores that value CO₂, investment volume and speed at the beginning of consumption are applied. In parallel, solutions such as battery PPAS arise, which allow to finance storage and take advantage of the cheap electricity at noon at the afternoon, avoiding the resource to gas. But without broader investment limits, as Aelēc claimsthe bridge between rural Spain and urban Spain will remain broken. The PNIEC foresees more than 53,000 million in networks until 2030, although the CNMC defends to maintain the rate at 6.46% for efficiency and affordability, while the sector asks for greater certainty and return. The political context adds pressure: after the rejection of the “Decree antiaps” In July, the dilemma is sharpened. The end point. Spain does not have a sun or wind problem; It has a bridge problem between where it occurs and where it is consumed. Capacity maps have made what the industry had been suffering: the distribution network is at the limit. Without a jump in investment and planning, the transition will be stuck where there are less labor and more territory. If the network does not reach empty Spain, clean energy will not reach rich Spain. The choice is not whether to invest or not, but how, where and with what rules so that the cost does not pay it neither the countryside nor the city, but the economic future of both. Image | Freepik Xataka | The renewable boom clashes with the invisible wall: Spain has more green energy than ever but the system does not endure … Read more

Heat was always the enemy of solar energy. A new study says it will be your best ally

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For decades, heat has been considered the Achilles heel of solar energy. When the sun squeezes and the temperature rises, the solar panels They begin to lose efficiency. In sunny places, from Madrid to Sydney, the paradox is known: a lot of sun to achieve a lot of energy, but also a lot of heat that plays against. However, where some see problems, a new study has found a possible solution. An unexpected ally. A study by the University of Laughborough, Posted in The Journal of Chemical Physicsturn this logic. Researchers have tried some photoelectrochimic flow cells (PEC), an emerging technology that captures light and stores it. The most striking thing about this research is that the more heat they receive, the faster they store energy. The team has even identified an “optimal point” around 45 ° C, where performance reaches its maximum before stabilizing. More in depth. But to understand the importance of this finding, it should be remembered why heat is a problem in conventional photovoltaic panels. The increase in temperature causes an increase in internal electrical resistance. This means that electrons lose energy in the form of heat instead of contributing to electric current, which reduces voltage and efficiency. As we have explained in Xatakafor each additional degree above 25 ºC, the plates lose between 0.05 % and 0.34 % yield, which can translate into falls from 10 to 25 % in very hot days. Instead, PEC cells behave totally the other way around: heat energizes liquid electrolyte, accelerating the ion movement. In this way, internal conductivity is improved and reduces losses, achieving a faster and more efficient load. The benefit of heat. The project led by the University of Laughborough by not needing active refrigeration systems, installation and maintenance costs are reduced. For their part, the most benefited regions would be those with abundant sun and high temperatures. As Dr. Bae has highlighted in Interesting Engineering: “This revolutionizes popular belief and gives us a new way of designing solar storage systems that prosper in heat conditions.” Other ways. Beyond the PEC cells, there are also initiatives that seek to take advantage of heat in solar energy. The Australian startup Coolsheet has designed a passive water cooling system that is installed in the rear of the solar panels. This reduces the temperature of the plate and, at the same time, water is heated that can be used in industrial or domestic processes. As we have explained in Xatakaevery 10 ºC less on the plate can translate into an increase of 4 % in electrical efficiency. From enemy to ally. Solar energy crosses an intense innovation phase. From technologies such as PECs, which make heat into an ally, to hybrid solutions such as Coolsheet, which reuse leftover heat, the future seems to get away from the traditional vision that heat is a problem to fight. What is clear is that, As the University of Laughborough concludeswe are one step closer to a scenario in which the sun not only generates electricity, but also enhance the efficiency and reliability of our energy systems. Image | Freepik Xataka | The window that does not seem solar panel, but is: China seeks that each glass facade produces clean energy

A plant with seven million solar panels

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In one of the most unpopulated and arid regions of China, a landscape for centuries dominated by dust, a huge sand patch is starting to dye green. The cause is not a miraculous climate change or a mass reforestation project, but a solar park as large as the city of Madrid. Seven million solar panels. Located in the province of Qinghai, this megaobra still under construction extends over 610 square kilometers of Tibetan plateau with the aim of housing more than seven million photovoltaic panels. Its generation capacity will be sufficient to supply electricity to five million homes, which makes it the largest solar farm in the world. But beyond energy figures, the most surprising impact is being seen at ground level. Thus it is transforming the landscape. The installation It is having beneficial effects on local ecology. Solar panels, aligned in endless ranks, act as a barrier against the wind that reduces erosion, slows the advance of dust and sand and, more importantly, reduces the evaporation of soil water. Under the protective shadow of panels, vegetation has found an opportunity to prosper. The grass and small bushes are beginning to grow, which has created a greener ecosystem that attracts local fauna. Maintenance is in charge of the sheep. To maintain vegetation under control, the installation has hired sheep in the area. Thousands of sheep come to graze quietly among the panels, an association that a local official described Associated Press as a “win-win”. Although the area of ​​the area It is under public scrutiny For complaints of repression of the Uigur people, local revergeation is a powerful symbol in favor of the energy transition. Not only generates clean energy, but more humid microclimates and vegetation under the rows of panels, turned into meadows for the so -called “photovoltaic sheep.” China’s figures Marean. This project is the spearhead of the monumental China strategy to Lead the energy transition. In 2024, China was responsible for 61% of solar capacity facilities and almost 70% of wind installed on the planet. The figures by 2025 are even more spectacular. Only in the first half of the year, the Asian country added 212 GW of solar energy, more than all the capacity of the United States, as well as 51 GW of wind energy. This acceleration is paying off: China has already reached The objective proposed for 2030 and their carbon emissions have fallen for the first time. Image | Google Maps In Xataka | Minnesota installed solar panels in two huge crops. Five years later, they are a paradise for bees

How some salt has managed to overcome the efficiency of solar panels

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In the kitchen, a pinch of salt is enough to give life to a dish. In the laboratory, another very different salt promises a similar effect, to give a new flavor to solar energy. What for the scientists of the University College in London is a simple chemical additive, it could become the seasoning that revolutionizes the energy future. Seasoning the panels. A team from University College London (UCL) has proven To add Guanidininum Tiocyanate to Perovskitas allows you to manufacture more efficient and stable solar cells. In trials with tin and lead perovskitas in the lower layer of tandem cells – they achieved a 22.3% efficiency, near the record for that family. Scientists have underlined a double effect: more performance and more useful life by reducing microscopic defects during crystals. Just a pinch of salt. The secret is how crystals form. Normally, during manufacturing, Perovskita crystals are formed in a disorderly way, with microscopic imperfections that reduce their efficiency and shorten their useful life. In this way, the guanidinium tiocyanate enters that acts as a modulator: it slows down and controls that process, achieving smoother and more uniform layers. It is as if adding salt, the crystals had time to grow more orderly, without leaving holes or defects that then act as electrons traps. A complementary study at ACS Energy Letters deepened in this mechanism. According to the authors, Guanidinio cations not only improve the quality of the glass, but also facilitate the extraction of electric charge, reduce ion migration and increase stability. This is especially important in the inverted structures (PIN), which are considered more stable in the long term than conventional ones. In the words of the first author of the studyYueyao Dong (UCL): “By modulating the formation of crystals in a controlled way, we were able to create much higher quality films, a change that translates directly into more efficient and durable devices.” The next solar border. The implications go far beyond a laboratory record. The issue is that each layer of Perovskita’s tandem can be designed to absorb different parts of the solar spectrum, which allows to take advantage of more light and turn it into electricity. So, According to UCLusing this type of “salt” in the lower tandem layer could further push records, since other Pervskita tandem They have exceeded more than 40% laboratory efficiency. Can you climb? Perovskitas have another advantage: they are manufactured with low temperature processes, simpler and less energy intensive than silicon. That opens the door to light and flexible modules, integrable in facades, windows or Curved surfaces. However, the interesting thing about this finding is that the additive acts during the manufacture, without the need to redesign the device. In theory, this facilitates moving it from laboratory cells to industrial modules. A door that still has to cross. However, the biggest challenge is still pending: Long -term certified durability. Perovskitas still have to demonstrate that they resist years of sun, humidity and heat without degrading. To this is added the question of lead, present in many formulations. Precisely UCL’s work bet by the tin-pull mixture, with focus on stability and reduction of defects. They are steps in the right direction, but not the final goal. ACS ENERGY LOTTERS STUDY Add a curious nuance: Small dose of Guanidinio help; Too much can be counterproductive and stop cargo transport. In other words: this seasoning works as in the kitchen, where an excess of salt ruins the recipe. A simple touch makes the difference. Like a pinch of salt, it enhances the taste of a dish, a pinch of guanidinio tiocyanate can turn Perovskita into the main ingredient of the energy transition. What until recently was a promising but fragile material, it begins to consolidate as a real alternative to silicon. If science manages to stabilize and climb it, we could be facing the beginning of a new solar era: cleaner, more powerful and more accessible. Image | Unspash and Unspash Xataka | All solar panel technologies that exist and which are more efficient, in a graph that goes 1975 until today

The solar panels 35 years ago are lasting so much that they have reopened the debate on the quality of the current

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The solar panel manufacturers They usually offer performance guarantees of about 20-25 years, a point from which the irremediable degradation of materials significantly reduces their ability to produce energy. Or that’s what they have done to believe. Short. A new analysis of solar panels installed in Switzerland between 1987 and 1993 reveals that most follow 80% of their initial nominal power. The study is based on six photovoltaic systems in operation for more than 30 years in all types of altitudes. Research, published in the EES Solar MagazineNot only confirms that solar panels can last a lot more than 25 years, but do so with such a low degradation that invites you to review priorities: are we balancing well efficiency, cost and materials? A degradation much lower than the typical. The researchers studied thoroughly from solar panels in low altitude roofs to facilities in alpine areas. On average, the panels lost only 0.24% of power per year. It is a value significantly lower than the usual range of the crystalline silicon: 0.5 to 0.6% per year, depending on the weather. In other words, these 35 -year modules degrade much more slowly of what the industry today assumes as usual. The secret is not the climate, but the materials. The weather can make a difference. In colder alpine environments, despite receiving more radiation, the degradation of the panels is slower due to the least thermal stress. At low altitude, where the surface of the panels can reach 80 ° C, Metallic contacts can run and lose conductivity for the degradation of the encapsulant. However, the secret of these panels is their solid construction. The modules analyzed are from the family of AM55 arc models and Siemens SM55, which stand out for the quality of their materials: thicker frontal glass, high quality encapsulants, very resistant rear sheets, robust aluminum frames and crystalline silicon cells somewhat thicker than the current ones. The moral of the study. Today’s photovoltaic industry has no point of comparison with that of the early 90s. The panels are much cheaper and achieve greater efficiencies. But in return, they use thinner silicon wafers, thinner glass and lighter designs. The conclusion of the study is not that before better panels, but that manufacturing materials have a great influence on long -term performance. Although they cannot compete with the current price, betting on robust and quality materials can make the useful life of a solar panel exceed 50 years in temperate climates. Image | Ebrar Özkalay et al. In Xataka | Forget the industrial revolution: the fastest energy change in human history is happening now

Solar storms are increasingly threatening for the earth. NASA wants to prepare with a “digital twin” of the sun

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The sun, that star that gives us life, also has an unpredictable character and potentially destructive. So much so that A large solar storm It could return to us technologically to the stone age in the blink of an eye. To avoid this, NASA and IBM They have joined forces To create a model that simulates the behavior of the sun. And how could it be otherwise, it has been generated with artificial intelligence. A authentic twin of the sun to understand it better. The union of forces of these two institutions has resulted in the creation of Surya, an artificial intelligence Designed to act as a digital twin of the sun and anticipate their violent outbursts with precision that with the models that are currently used cannot be achieved. Training an AI with the heart of a star. The challenge of predicting the space climate is undoubtedly a great challenge For scientists. To build Surya, the engineers turned to an inexhaustible data source: the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) NASA Hala. For nine years, this probe has State watching the sun without restcapturing images of very high resolution every 12 seconds in different wavelengths and measuring its complex magnetic field. Once you have all this information is where artificial intelligence comes into action to be able to organize and interpret them for experts. That is why the first thing Surya did is standardize all data formats to be able to process them together. Intelligent filtering of all this information. Once the data was unified, the next step was to use a long -range vision transformer, an architecture capable of analyzing gigantic images to identify patterns and relationships between points of solar activity, regardless of how far they are from each other. But he did not stay here, because thanks to a mechanism known as ‘spectral door’, the system was able to filter the ‘noise’ of the data to reduce memory use and improve the quality of the information with which it worked. Therefore, researchers were removed a lot of work to have to label all the images, causing it to adapt rapidly. More precision and twice as much time to react. The results of the initial tests are very promising. Until now, Traditional models barely gave us an hour in advance before a solar eruption. With Surya it has been shown to be able to launch a reliable warning two hours in advance, doubleing the humanity preparation window. But it is not only faster, but also accurate. The IBM and NASA team recorded a 16% improvement in precision when classifying solar rashes compared to the models used right now. Something that is also thanks to the ability to integrate information from other missions such as Parker solar probe or the Soho Observatory. An open tool for the science of the future. Far from saving this powerful tool in a key drawer, IBM and NASA have made it available to the entire scientific community. Surya is now available on platforms such as Hugging Face, GITHUB or even the Terratorch library. Kevin Murphy, NASA scientific data director, is clear: “We facilitate the analysis of the complexity of our star’s behavior with unprecedented speed and precision. This opens the door to a better understanding of the impact of solar activity on the systems on which our daily life depends.” The goal is for the Earth to be prepared. Although we see the central star of our system as harmless, the reality is that at any time this sensation can change. In this way, preparation and anticipation is fundamental and for the moment all hopes are put in this model of where it is possible to learn from the processes behind the evolution of the sun with the aim of having a greater amount of information. Images | Javier Miranda In Xataka | How the Solar System was formed: So that the Earth was born, a star had to die

Almería has been the great “plastic sea” of Europe for years. Now he wants to be another sea: that of solar panels

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During the First Andalusian Congress on Agriculture, Energy and Water held at the University of Almería, a path that begins to materialize today was already glimpsed. In that meeting, Professor Ángel Carreño He stressed that the use of photovoltaic plates In greenhouses, intensive agriculture could revolutionize. “With just 1% shadow with solar panels on the roof, the energy needs of a greenhouse could be covered,” he said. Seven years later, this forecast is specified in a pioneering project that aims to make a qualitative leap to the Almeria agricultural model: Dynamic Aquasave. From the plastic sea to the energy sea. The scenario of this innovation cannot be more unique. NASA confirms that the “plastic sea” Almeria is one of the few human constructions visible from space. According to the BBCunder its 32,000 hectares of white plastic, about four million tons of foods are produced every year to export them to Europe, generating about 5.1 billion dollars annually, which represents 40% of the GDP of the province. It is in this context where Dynamic Aquasave arises, with the promise that the plastic sea can be transformed into an energy sea, capable of producing not only food, but also electricity. How will it be? The University of Almería, together with Barre greenhouses, the Technalia Technology Center, the Uual-Anecoop Foundation and with CDTI financing, leads this project. The contract was signed in November 2024 and was ratified in February 2025 In the official act of the Department of Engineering of the UAL. The system consists of installing transparent or semi -transparent solar panels on the greenhouse cover, which are automatically oriented thanks to an algorithm. These panels fulfill a double function: they act as a dynamic shade to control excessive radiation and, at the same time, generate electricity. As He explained Professor Diego Luis Valera to Diario de Almería, “integrates, in the same system, photovoltaic generation and dynamic shadow governed by algorithms, something that does not exist in the market with the parameters required by a greenhouse adapted to the southeast of Spain.” The planned benefits are clear: up to 30% water savings, less needy need, a more stable microclimate, energy for self -consumption or sale and better working conditions within greenhouses. Forecasts The Dynamic Aquasave prototype will be installed at the Uual-Anecoop Foundation, where a greenhouse will also be enabled to compare yields. The experimentation phase is scheduled for the fall of 2025 and will last at least two agricultural campaigns. The project also has the collaboration of the University of Córdoba, which develops specific software and hardware for the control of the orientable panels. The combination of agricultural engineering, artificial intelligence and renewable energy makes it a unique proposal in the international scene. The digital layer. Dynamic Aquasave is not just solar energy. According to has detailed Valera to Diario de Almería, also seeks to provide the field of an artificial intelligence layer. With sensors and automatic learning algorithms, the system can predict dates and kilos of harvest before cutting, adjusting irrigation and nutrient supply in real time, and reducing the water and carbon footprint. In addition, the equipment works in passive microclimate systems: low -cost solutions that allow regulating temperature and humidity without spending energy, favoring biological pest control and reducing inputs. The project also supports international research and transfer networks, which seek that these innovations do not stay in laboratories, but arrive as soon as possible to real farms. Although the problems are not going to go. The European garden also drags criticism. Technology can relieve some challenges, but not solve them all. No algorithm can, by itself, reverse the overexploitation of aquifers or the social problems of the Almeria field. On the one hand, academic investigations cited by the British environment They remember that growth has been sustained thanks to the overexploitation of underground aquifers, some in deficit for more than two decades, and that 30,000 tons of plastic waste are generated every year. On the other hand, The newspaper El Salto The other face denounces: migrant workers living in precarious settlements, with low salaries and marathon days. Although Dynamic Aquasave represents a technological leap, but the Almeria model also needs to face its social and environmental side. A challenge beyond energy. Although We have already explained in Xataka As solar panels can be an improvement for crops, the challenge, however, goes beyond engineering. The key will be that the plastic sea not only becomes a sea of ​​solar panels, but an agricultural space that combines innovation with social justice and environmental sustainability. Only then, Almería may go from being a green miracle to become a world agriculture model of the future. Image | Kallerna and Unspash Xataka | How much electricity produces each country from the map with renewable energy, exposed in a graphic

No need to install solar panels everywhere

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Our strategy in the solar energy deployment could be much smarter. This humble editor does not say, but an advanced computational model developed by Harvard, Rutgers and Stony Brook universities in the United States after processing five years of electricity network data. Climate profitability. That is the key to the recent research published by the magazine Science Advances. The authors have identified the regions of the country where each new solar panel offers the highest performance in terms of carbon dioxide reduction. The conclusion is overwhelming: to maximize the reduction of emissions, instead of Install solar panels Everywhere, it is better to install them in the right places. The “where” before the “how many”. Not all solar energy megawatts are the same. The impact of adding photovoltaic to the electricity grid depends strongly on the energy matrix that already exists in the region. The study makes it clear After processing with AI The generation, demand and emission data of 13 regions of the United States between 2018 and 2023. The regions where solar energy has a huge impact are those that still depend largely on very polluting fossil fuels, such as coal. In places like California, Florida, the West, Texas and the Southwest, each kilowatt-moor of solar energy that is injected into the RED directly replaces energy generated by coal or gas plants. The result is a massive and immediate reduction of CO₂. What happens in the other regions. In places like New England, the central area of ​​the United States and Tennessee, the effect is minimal. The reason? They already have a cleaner energy matrix, with a strong presence of nuclear, hydroelectric or natural gas energy (which, even if it is a fossil fuel, emits approximately half of CO₂ than coal). In these regions, add more solar energy barely moves the needle of emissions, because the energy that solar panels move was already relatively clean. In a world with limited resources, this type of optimizations can help investments in clean energy as effective as possible. But there are still patterns that can only detect AI. The contagion effect. One of the most fascinating contributions in the study is that the model was able to quantify effects that until now were difficult to measure, revealing counterintuitive dynamics in the electricity grid. For example, the study shows that installing solar panels in one region can clean the air of another. He California case It is paradigmatic: an increase of 15% in its solar capacity not only benefited the State, but reduced daily emissions in the northwest region in 913 tons and in the southwest in impressive 1,942 tons Conclusion: Investing in solar energy in the Arizona desert could be one of the most efficient ways to reduce emissions in Oregon. Image | Rawpixel In Xataka | China broke the solar panel market. Now their companies have had to say goodbye to a third of their employees

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