It’s not that I woke up and said farms need solar panels. Frankly, breakfast was my first thought… I just happened to drive by a farm and wondered why there weren’t more farms with solar panels, given rising energy costs and declining profits. Yes, it’s the initial capital cost, energy credits, etc., but stay with me and imagine the possibilities.
As the world moves toward clean energy, the deployment of solar panels beyond rooftops and large open spaces is beginning to emerge and gain commercial traction. Solar capture systems for agriculture is one of those emerging areas. My new acronym is Solfarming (FN 1)! Now imagine Solfarming with artificial intelligence.
The example above is a “pergola” concept for crop protection and solar capture. The IoT/AI enabled solar panels track the sun, automatically opening and closing, thereby optimizing the sun for specific plants. The solar energy also powers the AI enabled sensors which collect real time data for predictive crop management, allowing for precision farming ranging from pest control to water management. You now have taken the information in a Farmer’s Almanac to a new level.
While the video from my client is more the “Rolls Royce” of systems, these systems can be developed with structures made of wood and other less expensive materials for undeveloped nations. Imagine the possibilities.
Full disclosure, SunFleur provides the solar system and NuReal.ai provides the marketplace for artificial intelligence programs. Both are Sumihiro Investments clients.
FN 1: See my earlier article on the explosion of acronyms and funny words….some people refer to this as agrivoltaics, but I like my word better.
About the author
Gary Sumihiro is the founder of Sumihiro Investments, LLC a global strategic consulting firm. Learn more at www.sumihiroinvestmentsllc.com.
About NuReal.ai
Leading the democratization of artificial intelligence by offering a marketplace of affordable AI programs.
About SunFleur
World’s first IoT enabled solar panel and smart glass technology company.