Wageningen Solar Research Programme

This is accompanied by resistance from local residents and competition in terms of economic value and environmental quality. For this change to be accepted, a debate is needed on the process (e.g. more participative design methods) and the content (e.g. building multifunctional solar parks).

WUR wants to focus more on qualitative methods with the Solar Research Programme. Landscape researchers involved in energy transition mainly focus on quantitative methods (e.g. multi-criteria decision-making), whereas qualitative thinking is needed to address social concerns, such as the effects of solar parks on the physical aspects and perception of landscapes.

A promising tool for taking account of the values of landscape users in the energy transition is 'landscape quality'. This consists of three types: functionality, experience and future. A broader view of landscapes can help to make solar parks more attractive and to stimulate social support for such parks. A similar approach is used in the adaptation of Dutch rivers to climate change, where both quantitative objectives and qualitative values are considered.

Also read

• Empowering Energy Estates A new estate as a means for sustainable energy in Wijhe, Overijssel (2021, MSc)
• Not just another solar field: A multifunctional EnergyGarden for Mastwijk, the Netherlands (2020, MSc thesis)
• Solarchipelago: Designing energy transition in the IJmeer along ecosystem change (2020, MSc thesis)
• Best-practice European Photovoltaic Parks: Comparative case study (2019-2020, NRG Lab)
• Research through design for energy transition: two case studies in Germany and The Netherlands (2019, Smart and Sustainable Built Environment)

In 2019, an initial exploration of the effects at ten existing solar parks took place. In order to draw more scientific conclusions, this sample was expanded to 25 solar parks. The aim is to draw up concrete guidelines for the design and management of solar parks. This will result in the manual management and design of multifunctional solar parks.

Part of the project is a literature study into the long-term effect of solar parks on soil quality (10-25 years). The project was commissioned by LNV and financed by Policy Support Research.

Management and previous land use appear to be the main factors determining the differences in biodiversity. Solar parks can offer opportunities for biodiversity, but not all of these opportunities are taken advantage of.

The impact of solar parks on soil quality and biodiversity will be studied over the next few years in a collaboration between LC Energy, Wageningen University & Research, TNO, Eelerwoude and SolarCentury. Six new test solar parks will be built in the Netherlands for this research. The main objective of the SolarEcoPlus research project is to determine the ecological and economic yield of solar parks that are set up with innovative double-sided panels. The study takes into account the most common soil types in the Netherlands: sand, peat and clay.

Projects

• SolarEcoPlus
• EcoCertified Solar Parks

Solar panels in an agrivoltaics system must be placed at a greater distance compared to conventional, monofunctional systems. This increases the construction costs, but results in less mutual shading of the panels; during drought and heat, panels can benefit from the cooling effect of a crop evaporating underneath, which increases the efficiency of the panels. For optimal use of agrivoltaics systems, the effects on crop or grassland production should be monitored, along with the effects on energy production. Adjustments in cultivation and construction may be needed to realise optimal, economically viable systems and business cases for both the farmer and the energy company.

In the Netherlands, agrivoltaics systems are being tested on fruit crops that already require some form of protection. In raspberry cultivation, for example, solar panels can replace plastic arches for protection against rain. These are attractive situations because the installation of high-level solar panels requires no additional investment, machinery or labour. Furthermore, there is little impact on the landscape because the panels replace the plastic arches.

WUR monitors the effects of solar panels on the microclimate (temperature, humidity, PAR), diseases and pests, light distribution, crop development and crop yield, to evaluate the effects of the solar panels and set-ups tested. This information, together with information from the literature, will be integrated into crop models. With this we want to enable research into other setups (e.g. two-sided systems or dynamic systems) and optimise agrivoltaics systems for different purposes.

Projects and test sites

• Sun on Dykes
• ACRRES
• Agrivoltaics in Mexico
• Sunbiose
• SolarMILK
• TALOS

Business Units

• Wageningen Plant Research
• Agrosystems Research
• Field crops
• Wageningen Livestock Research

Within the Solar Research Programme, we want to investigate how and under which conditions everyday participation contributes to a sense of personal responsibility and justice in local energy transitions. The aim is to learn more about multifunctionality and social support through system innovation, such as changing practices, rules and relationships.

The methods and experiments consist of an evaluation of participation in existing solar parks, by means of reflexive monitoring. This means that new knowledge is applied immediately in the process in order to achieve the best results. It leads to greater involvement of local residents and other stakeholders, because they can immediately see their own wishes in front of them.

This variation is mainly caused by cloud cover, which is still one of the most difficult weather phenomena to predict. In addition, large solar parks change the local climate by altering the amount of light received by the surface. This also changes the energy balance and thus the conditions for vegetation. If the surface is large enough, the parks in turn influence the weather, with changes in temperature, humidity and cloud cover occurring downwind.

Solar panels can also play a role in reducing evaporation. Agrivoltaics makes use of this phenomenon. Evapotranspiration (evaporation from soil and vegetation) is a theme of research. We would like to include this in the research on agrivoltaics. We also want to develop this theme internationally and put it on the agenda.

Similar projects

• Shedding light on cloud shadows
• Every ray counts!

WUR is investigating how solar parks can be designed in such a way that they do not damage the soil, so that it can continue to store carbon and provide room for biodiversity. To gain a good understanding of the effects of design and management under different conditions (soil types, previous land use and humidity), long-term observations of organic material at a large number of locations are needed.

With twenty developers and managers of solar parks, united in Holland Solar, two consultancies and eight provinces, WUR has set up an integrated research programme in the project EcoCertified Solar parks. This also includes the biodiversity above ground. In this project, twenty existing locations will be investigated over a period of four years, which will be treated in five different ways. Three PhD studies are linked to it: one for soil, one for insects and one for vertebrates.

TNO is investigating the economic aspects of nature-inclusive solar parks, while Wageningen Environmental Research is developing less labour-intensive innovative methods for monitoring biodiversity. Eelerwoude is looking into the best way to manage vegetation in the Netherlands and Green Label is developing a certificate to guarantee ecological design and management.

In order to involve citizens in the planning and monitoring of the solar parks, we are also including 'citizen science' in the research. A four-year study on this scale is exceptional, but follow-up is needed. Biodiversity and soils react very slowly, so effects will occur with a delay. Volunteers can play an important role in determining long-term effects.