The Agrivoltaic Potential of Türkiye

Abstract

Agrivoltaic systems, also known as agrivoltaics, represent an innovative approach that combines agricultural activities with solar energy production on the same land. This concept emerged as a solution to the increasing demand for land for food production and the increasing demand for land for energy production. It is also a fact that greenhouse gas emissions will decrease with the increase in agrivoltaic systems and therefore with the increase in clean energy production. This study measures the agricultural potential of Türkiye by region using 1% of Türkiye's farmland, according to TUIK data. In two different PV systems modeled, single-array systems and single-axis tracking configurations will be used. It will also enable the traditional farming of crops (and potentially increase efficiency). The results of the study determined that 398 GWh of electricity would be produced in the single array system and 445 GWh in the single-axis tracking system. As a result of these results, not only can Türkiye meet all of its electrical energy needs in 2023, but also 20.7% and 34.8% more in single array and single-axis tracking systems, respectively, can be provided by agrivoltaics using only 1% of the existing agricultural lands. These results show that agrivoltaics can make a significant contribution to sustainable electricity production and provide the ability to reduce/purify greenhouse gas emissions associated with the Turkish energy production sector.