HAMYANG, South Gyeongsang Province – A week before Chuseok, the sound of a combine harvester’s revving engine echoed in Gi-dong village in Hamyang, about 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The sound is not familiar in any farm during harvest time across the country, but the sight is different as the machine cuts and threshes the grains under the solar panels.

The intricate, rectangular panels are mounted on poles five meters above the ground in an agrivoltaic demonstration complex in the village. They provide shade for the farmers in the afternoon heat but they were erected for economic purposes.

“Agrivoltaic farms use light that is not needed for plant growth to simultaneously generate electricity and produce crops,” said Lee Tae-sik, the head of the Gi-dong social cooperative association.

“These farms reap three benefits for society: producing crops, generating clean, renewable energy, and providing economic returns to farmers,” said Lee,

Traditionally, the construction of solar power generating sites often destroys or takes away agricultural land. However, the combination of solar panels and farms is now producing crops, preventing environmental damage, and generating renewable energy to achieve carbon neutrality.

Agricultural farms further contribute to the revitalization of the country’s agricultural economy, according to Lee.

“We’re at an age where just growing crops is no longer economically viable for farmers,” Lee said.

“South Korea is seeing a gradual exodus of its farmers from the agricultural business due to low economic returns. Agrivoltaic farms can be an effective answer to the decrease in the number of farmers in the country, because the land rental income or revenues collected from the generation of electricity, in addition to the benefits returned from the production of plant, can provide sufficient income to the farmers,” said Lee.

However, officials say there are public concerns about commercializing the new farm variety, despite its advantages.

“The concern of farmers in agrivoltaic farms is that they think that the shadows cast by solar panels will interfere with the growth of crops,” said Jung Jae-hak, a professor at Yeungnam University.

“However, this is not true, because plants have a light saturation point where supplemental light can actually harm plant photosynthesis. The solar panels placed on top of the plants here are precisely adjusted based on their size to provide the right amount of light to the type of plants growing under the panels,” Jung said.

Solar panels also work as protection for crops during heat waves and rain, according to Jung. They maintain the humidity of the agricultural land by preventing excess water from evaporating.

Another obstacle to its commercialization is legal complications.

Under the current farm law, the temporary use of the farm for purposes other than crop production is limited to eight years. Solar panels, which have a lifespan of 25 years or more, must be removed eight years after being installed. This leads to wastage of expensive equipment and economic inefficiency.

“The change in the current farm work should be reviewed by the National Assembly to facilitate the commercialization of agrivoltaic farms, because it is necessary for the growth of the country’s agricultural society,” said Jung.

Hanwha Q-cell, the leading solar cell and module in South Korea, is trying to popularize agrivoltaic farms by producing solar panel modules optimized for agrivoltaic farms.

Obtained certification for their eco-friendly, high durability modules, their products have contributed to the development of agrivoltaic demonstration complexes in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province, Ulju, Ulsan and Namhae, South Gyeongsang Province.

“The nationwide application of agrivoltaic farms will catch many birds with one stone,” said Yoo Jae-yeol, managing director of Hanwha Q Cell. “We will produce modules suitable for agrivoltaic farms and put efforts to combat climate change by reaching the nationally determined target contribution of modules.”

By Lee Yoon-seo (yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com)