Overcoming Challenges of Highly Salinized, Non-Arable Land: Starlight's Agrivoltaic Agriculture Trial Achieves Preliminary Success

Amid global climate change and the 2050 net-zero emissions movement, the coexistence of renewable energy and agriculture has become a growing trend. However, cultivating agriculture on land with poor natural conditions is far more challenging than imagined. Starlight Holdings' agrivoltaic agriculture trial project in the Yanwu area of Kouhu Township, Yunlin County, faces severe land challenges due to coastal salinization and extremely unfavorable farming conditions. After long-term cultivation trials and scientific management, the team has successfully transformed barren land and achieved preliminary results based on different greenhouse and net house shading rates.

Pushing the Limits of Salinized, Degraded Land: A Scientific Experiment in Adversity

The trial site is located along the coast of Yunlin, where environmental impacts have left the soil extremely infertile. In response, Starlight commissioned Hanjiang Agricultural Biotechnology Company, a partner of National Chung Hsing University, to introduce professional agricultural techniques and a scientifically designed experiment. For two years, the team monitored and analyzed soil conditions, shading rates, and crop growth. Soil tests revealed extremely low organic matter content (below 2%), with soil electrical conductivity (EC values) reaching 10–23 mS/cm in some areas—far exceeding the tolerance range of most crops, classifying the land as standard "non-arable."

Faced with this harsh starting point, the team treated the challenge as a proving ground for scientific management. To ensure objective and applicable results, the site established four greenhouses and three net houses—seven independent facilities in total—with a combined cultivation area of 354 ping. Three different shading rates—40%, 60%, and 80%—were designed, along with an unshaded control area. Through continuous drainage improvements, salt leaching, and organic matter supplementation, the land is being systematically transformed into a stable agricultural production environment, verifying the critical impact of systematic soil improvement in agrivoltaic settings.

Multi-Round Trials Reveal Clear Differences by Shading Rate

Results from three consecutive trial batches show that light intensity and soil salinity are two key factors affecting yield:

- First batch: Due to the dual impact of low temperatures and high salinity, leafy vegetable yields dropped below 20kg, posing a serious challenge. - Second batch: After adjusting management strategies, yield of Fukushan lettuce rose to 68kg. - Third batch: Bok choy yield reached 85.2kg, clearly surpassing initial targets.

Cross-analysis of overall data indicates that crops perform best under 40% to 60% shading. In contrast, 80% high-shading conditions present a major challenge, requiring shade-tolerant crops and precise microclimate management to reduce risks of leggy growth and disease. These results not only validate crop adaptability and management methods under agrivoltaic conditions but also provide crucial empirical evidence and reference for future agrivoltaic projects to meet regulatory yield standards (at least 70% of conventional farming yields).

Annual Harvest of 500kg: All Produce Donated Locally

In the harsh, high-salinity environment, every harvest is hard-earned. Since launching the trial in 2025, Starlight has successfully cultivated 13 crops—including bok choy, water spinach, lettuce, sweet potato leaves, cabbage, and tomatoes—achieving a cumulative harvest of approximately 500kg of safe agricultural produce, demonstrating phased success in land rehabilitation and agrivoltaics.

Upholding its commitment to local integration and community contribution, all harvested produce has been donated free of charge to senior canteens in Houcuo, Wubei, Chenglong, Ouliao, and Jiayuan Qinghan, as well as local schools and care centers, turning the fruits of the land into tangible community support.

For Starlight, the results represent more than just accumulating yield data—they reflect a long-term commitment to land restoration, community care, and sustainable development. The company will continue investing in agrivoltaics and environmental improvement, aiming to build a sustainable demonstration site where energy infrastructure, agricultural production, and local communities thrive together. Starlight delivers harvested vegetables directly to central kitchens of nearby schools, allowing children to enjoy the freshest local produce and putting corporate回馈 into practice.

Limited Short-Term Economic Scale: Continuous Optimization to Build an Agrivoltaic Model

Starlight Holdings acknowledges that due to the site’s long-term salinization, land subsidence, and seawater intrusion, while the project has shown phased agricultural results, it currently lacks the economic viability needed for large-scale commercial expansion. However, the project’s original goal is not short-term agricultural profit, but rather to provide solutions for Taiwan’s marginal lands facing similar cultivation challenges.

Starlight stated it will continue deepening research and optimizing management under the "agrivoltaic agriculture trial" model. The team will introduce smart irrigation and remote monitoring, standardize irrigation systems for precise water control, and adopt diverse methods—such as salt- and flood-tolerant green manure (e.g., sesbania) or elevated cultivation—during rainy seasons to mitigate climate risks. By continuously accumulating empirical data on various crops, the company aims to provide a practical, scalable model for Taiwan’s renewable energy and sustainable agriculture through scientific experimentation and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Trial reports are publicly available on the company’s official website for public review.