Notices by CelloMom On Cars (cellomomoncars@mastodon.social)

"In their comparisons, the research team found that approximately half of the marine heat waves since 2000 would not have occurred without global warming. They found that over the past several decades, heat waves have occurred more often, and have increased in intensity—they are now approximately 1°C warmer."

https://phys.org/news/2025-04-global-tripled-length-marine.html

It's not surprising that e-cars break down less often than fossil fueled cars: There is simply a lot less than can break down, with the drive train containing tens of moving parts rather than. hundreds or in some cases thousands.

https://www.alphamotorinc.com/about/ev-vs-ice-fewer-moving-parts-less-maintenance

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2018/09/06/seven-reasons-why-the-internal-combustion-engine-is-a-dead-man-walking-updated/

Germany's auto association #ADAC, which aids motorists when their cars break down on the road, finds:

"EVs averaged 4.2 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles, while similarly aged combustion models more than doubled that rate."

https://www.carscoops.com/2025/04/new-study-shows-evs-are-more-reliable-than-ice-cars/

"“The sheep thrive. They absolutely love the panels during the summer – everywhere they go there’s shade. There’s constantly green food underneath them.”

The microclimate under the panels also retains moisture longer, giving grass a better chance to establish and persist through dry spells.

But Inder says he doesn’t just have happy sheep, the quality of the wool and the wool yield has improved."

https://reneweconomy.com.au/the-sheep-farmer-who-turned-a-1800-call-to-coal-giant-agl-into-a-major-solar-grazing-deal/
#agrivoltaics

"What’s more, our previous research has shown that the UK has enough land to deploy 90 GW of solar power – enough to meet suggested capacity by 2050 – without damaging bird populations at a national scale or affecting food production."

https://theconversation.com/solar-farms-can-host-up-to-three-times-as-many-birds-as-crop-fields-new-research-249551

#Agrivoltaics for Canada, now with the added benefit of tariff-free homegrown mutton.

"This is a potential missed opportunity for #Canada considering the pricey importation of over $250 million in mutton and lamb annually, per the researchers.

Pearce further noted that clean energy leader Texas has tripled its sheep population as "Canada has fallen behind." "

https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/agriculture-solar-panels-canada-sheep/

Electricity from the cow pasture: How a farmer uses agri-PV twice

"The Ohlstadt solar park is the first agri-PV project in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district. The plant supplies green electricity on almost three hectares. A herd of dairy cattle grazes under the modules, creating a win-win situation."

https://www.wochenblatt-dlv.de/feld-stall/energie/strom-kuhweide-landwirt-agri-pv-doppelt-nutzt-579154
#agrivoltaics

Double sided PV comes in handy after snowfall.

Agrivoltaics can increase grape yield by up to 60%

French #agrivoltaics company Sun’Agri says that two of its facilities increased #grape yields by 20% to 60% in 2024, compared to areas without solar panels. The PV modules helped regulate temperature fluctuations, reducing summer heat peaks and winter temperature declines."

Also reduces irrigation needs by 20% to 70%.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2024/11/29/agrivoltaics-can-increase-grape-yield-by-up-to-60/

Thanks to @Jourei for the link:
https://mastodon.social/@Jourei@mas.to/113582365145045502

"In Poland, a case study considering agri-PV and wheat concludes that revenues per hectare can be twelve times higher than those from wheat crops alone, Ember said, with a potential annual profit of €1268 per hectare from the combined electricity and wheat sales — a stark contrast with traditional wheat production that is estimated to be generating net losses in 2024."

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/08/29/solar-panels-and-crops-could-meet-68-of-central-europes-energy-demand

Even a fraction of that kind of yield would already be exciting.

The Killer Combo Of Agrivoltaics & Community Solar Is Coming For Your Fossil Fuels

"Livestock grazing and pollinator habitats have dominated the #agrivoltaic field to date. Researchers are also compiling a knowledge base that enables agrivoltaic arrays to expand into #FoodCrops for humans (see more solar-plus-farming background here).

Meanwhile, the #CommunitySolar movement has also been taking a ride-along with the falling cost of solar energy."

https://cleantechnica.com/2024/08/23/the-killer-combo-of-agrivoltaics-community-solar-is-coming-for-your-fossil-fuels/

A study in the UK found very large biodiversity at solar parks with vegetation:

"Overall, they observed 1,397 pollinators across at least 30 species."

"According to the study, solar parks were especially beneficial to pollinators in areas with disconnected landscapes. The authors noted that this could be because areas with well-connected landscapes rich in hedgerows and trees could be more attractive to pollinators because they offer a wider range of resources. "

https://www.ecowatch.com/solar-parks-pollinator-habitats-vegetation-uk.html

New study reveals unexpected benefit of solar farms — here’s what it could mean for farmers

"The study involved seeding the land underneath the solar panels with 66 different species of native plants and flowers.

They found that after five years, populations of native #bees had risen to 20 times their initial levels."

#agrivoltaics
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/habitat-friendly-solar-energy-insect-population-boost/

"The #solar panels can also assume an almost vertical position when farm equipment needs to past by. Farmers who host the array would not have to invest in specialized equipment to continue farming.

Solar developers have been encountering a wave of opposition to rural solar arrays. However, the #agrivoltaics trend has taken some of the steam out of the argument against using farmland to generate electricity."

https://cleantechnica.com/2023/06/25/the-unstoppable-force-of-agrivoltaics-now-with-tiltable-solar-panels/
#SolarFarms

There's 107 square km of desertified land in #Binhe region, Ningxia province, China. Baofeng, a "new energy" company, became its manager.

First they planted alfalfa. Then they planted #solar, soon to be 1GW of it, and it's tall solar, 3m off the ground. Underneath that they planted goji berries.

Now, small wild animals like sparrows, hares and pheasants have come back. Land moisture evaporation is down by between 30 and 40%. #Agrivoltaics is a win-win proposition.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/09/03/giant-agrivoltaic-project-in-china/

"In France, a landowner could make between 10 and 100 times more money per hectare renting out their land to an energy company than they’d make from conventional farming. This puts the future of agricultural land at risk."

The land does have to feed people, so rules need to be designed around the PV coverage of the land, the yield of crops, and keeping the solution inexpensive enough to make it worthwhile.

Thanks to @richardknott for this link:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00518-6

It's a learning curve.

"By using #solar panels, farmers can simultaneously protect their plants, save #water and lower their energy bills.

Some plants actually produced more with less water. Cowpea beans, for example – also known as black-eyed peas – had a higher crop yield when grown in the shade of solar panels. Full sun required twice as much water, it turned out."

https://azmirror.com/briefs/arizona-farmers-turn-to-solar-panels-to-shade-crops-save-water-and-generate-power/
#agrivoltaics #SolarFarming

"The emerging field of #agrivoltaics has come a long way in just a few years. From a focus on pollinator habitats and grazing lands, agrivoltaic stakeholders are expanding their ambitions to raise peaches, grapes, and other crops within arrays of ground-mounted solar panels."

https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/11/peaches-grapes-the-agrivoltaic-farm-of-the-future/

Solar panels and crops could meet 68% of central #Europe’s energy demand

"Combining farming with green energy production could also increase #FoodSecurity and generate additional income for farmers, according to a new study."

The analysis suggests that installing solar panels could improve #water retention in dry years and protect crops from extreme weather - in some cases actually increasing yields."

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/08/29/solar-panels-and-crops-could-meet-68-of-central-europes-energy-demand
#agrivoltaics

"In October the #NewJersey Board of Public Utilities announced the launch of the new Dual-Use #Agrivoltaics Pilot Program,... aiming at a total of up to 200 megawatts over the next three years.

Research from participating farms in the Dual-Use Program will support a permanent program, complete with construction and operation standards that will help accelerate more widespread adoption. Rutgers University's Agrivoltaic Program is charged with administering the program."

https://cleantechnica.com/2024/12/02/small-us-state-launches-game-changing-agrivoltaic-project/

#CleanEnergy and #biodiversity

Simple habitat: intensively managed, grazed by sheep.
Mixed habitat solar farms: hedgerows around the edges, no sheep grazing or grass cutting, greater diversity of flowering plants.

"The highest abundance of threatened bird species (such s Corn Bunting, Greenfinch, Yellowhammer and Linnet) was in mixed habitat solar and was significantly higher than in both surrounding arable land and in the simple habitat solar sites."

https://eastangliabylines.co.uk/environment/new-research-birdlife-soars-on-nature-friendly-solar-farms/