A proposal created by Tec graduates that aims to make agriculture more sustainable by making efficient use of water and land has won Invent for the Planet.
How can we produce clean energy without displacing agriculture? And how can we reduce water consumption in one of the sectors that uses it the most?
These questions were the stimulus for creating SolarRoot, a project developed by eight recent graduates from different majors at the School of Engineering and Sciences on the Tec’s Mexico City campus. It provides a solution capable of generating energy, producing food, and optimizing the use of water within the same space.
The proposal won first place at Invent for the Planet, an international innovation competition supported by Texas A&M University, and was selected to represent the campus at the next stage of the competition in Qatar.
A single solution to two challenges
SolarRoot emerged from challenges related to agriculture and energy transition: the use of agricultural land for the installation of solar panels and high levels of water consumption in the countryside.
The project combines crops, solar energy, and rainwater harvesting in the same space. It aims to make more efficient use of resources without affecting agricultural production by using solar panels and water collection and smart irrigation systems.
“These tend to be complex systems that require different skill sets and need to be analyzed from different perspectives in order to ensure that, when trying to solve one problem, you’re not creating others,” explained Rubén Ahumada Lazo, Director of the Sustainable Development Engineering degree program.
Technology for more efficient agriculture
Collected water is distributed through an underground drip irrigation system controlled by soil moisture sensors.
Thanks to this monitoring, the system can identify when irrigation is necessary and supplies only the required amount, thereby reducing waste and optimizing water consumption.
“It can provide economic and social benefits for people, as well as and environmental benefits for the planet.”
The proposal also takes advantage of the shade created by solar panels to reduce the thermal stress on crops and to promote more efficient conditions for their growth.
Studies analyzed by the team show that some agrivoltaic systems have significantly reduced water loss while maintaining competitive production levels.
Engineering with a global impact
Beyond the competition, SolarRoot aims to demonstrate that energy transition and agricultural production do not have to compete for the same resources. On the contrary, both can coexist through innovative and collaborative solutions.
“It can provide economic and social benefits for people, as well as environmental benefits for the planet, by optimizing the use of resources and producing more with less,” said Rubén Ahumada Lazo.
After winning first place at Invent for the Planet, the proposal will represent the campus at the upcoming international evaluation stage. If selected from among the best projects, it will advance to the final phase to be held in Qatar.
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