Design and Optimization of Agrivoltaic Farms
2023 Faculty Research Award
AWARD PERIOD: 2023-2025
Elie Bou-Zeid, professor of civil and environmental engineering, will investigate how solar photovoltaic (PV) cells can be optimized to hasten the sustainability and efficient growth of plant crops. This method, called agrivoltaics, is increasingly employed as a strategy for utilizing crop lands more efficiently, especially in urban settings, with additional benefits for reducing greenhouse emissions. A goal of the project is to analyze the complex interplay between mass, momentum, and heat exchange that occurs on the molecular level and to develop a model of an efficient agrivoltaic system that can be used at scale with positive outcomes for food and energy production in the urban setting. Undergraduate students are expected to participate in the measurement, analysis and design aspects of the project.
Participating Departments
Faculty
