Vertical solar panels can be installed on farms without decreasing crop yields

With the price of solar panels falling rapidly, they are starting to appear in unexpected places, from balconies to highway embankments. Now, researchers say double-sided solar panels can act as windbreaks for crops and livestock, and act as hedges for fields while generating electricity.

Farmers are already installing solar panels, often in tilted arrays above crops or grazing sheep between the panels. However, such installations, known as agricultural power generation, can cause excessive shading…