PASE (Photovoltaic Agrovoltaic Simulation Environment) is a simulation tool specifically designed for modeling and analyzing agrivoltaic systems, where solar panels are combined with agricultural activities. Agrivoltaics integrates photovoltaic (PV) systems with crop production on the same land, optimizing land use while producing renewable energy and maintaining agricultural output.
Key features of PASE for agrivoltaics simulations:
- Agrivoltaic system modeling: PASE provides a detailed simulation environment to model the interactions between solar panels and agricultural crops, considering factors like shading, microclimate effects, and the impact on crop growth and solar energy production.
- Light distribution and shading analysis: One of the critical aspects of agrivoltaics is how solar panels affect light distribution on crops. PASE can simulate light penetration, shading patterns, and how different panel configurations (tilt, spacing, height) influence light availability for plants.
- Microclimate simulation: PASE models the microclimatic conditions under the solar panels, including temperature, humidity, and wind speed changes, which are essential for assessing the impacts on crop health and productivity.
- Energy and crop yield optimization: The tool helps in optimizing the balance between solar energy generation and crop yield. By simulating various configurations, PASE enables users to find the best setup that maximizes both solar power output and agricultural productivity.
- Performance analysis and scenarios: PASE allows users to run various scenarios to understand how different factors (e.g., weather conditions, panel positioning) affect the overall performance of the agrivoltaic system. It can simulate both short-term and long-term impacts on energy and agricultural outputs.
- Integration with environmental data: The tool can incorporate weather and environmental data, such as solar radiation, temperature, and rainfall, to provide more accurate and location-specific simulations.
- Economic and environmental assessment: PASE can be used to evaluate the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of agrivoltaic systems, helping decision-makers understand the potential return on investment and sustainability impacts.
- User-friendly interface: It offers a user-friendly interface for researchers, engineers, and agricultural practitioners, making complex simulations more accessible and easier to interpret.
PASE is an invaluable tool for advancing the development of agrivoltaic systems by providing insights into the best practices for integrating solar energy and agriculture, ultimately promoting sustainable land use and energy production.
