Researchers in Taiwan demonstrate that installing solar panels above clam ponds can simultaneously support aquaculture and renewable energy under increasing climate stress. Using real-world farm data, the study shows that moderate shading lowers pond temperatures, reduces water demand, and generates clean electricity. This reveals novel, practical synergies across the water–energy–food–climate–land nexus.
Climate change is placing growing pressure on aquaculture worldwide. Rising temperatures, stronger heat waves, and higher evaporation rates make it harder for farmers to maintain stable pond conditions. At the same time, governments are rapidly expanding solar energy to cut carbon emissions, but suitable land for large solar installations is often limited.
A research team from National Taiwan University investigated whether these challenges could be addressed jointly through aquavoltaics, a system that integrates solar panels above aquaculture ponds.
The study, based on real clam farms in coastal Taiwan, demonstrates that aquavoltaics can provide a practical, climate-resilient solution that integrates food production, renewable energy, water management, and land use within the water–energy–food–climate–land (WEFCL) nexus. The study is published in Journal of Cleaner Production.
Climate-resilient aquavoltaics for low-carbon food–energy co-production
Aquavoltaics combines aquaculture and solar power on the same site. Solar panels are mounted above ponds, generating electricity while aquatic animals grow below. The panels provide shade, reducing direct sunlight reaching the water. This shading can be beneficial, but it also creates trade-offs.
While cooler water can reduce heat stress and evaporation, too much shade can limit the sunlight needed by phytoplankton, an important food source for clams. The key question is how to find the right balance.
Aquavoltaics digital twin powered by AI
To answer this, the researchers studied clam ponds at the Mariculture Research Center Taihsi Station in Yunlin County, Taiwan—one of the country's most important clam-farming regions. Like many coastal areas in Asia, the region faces land constraints, hot summers, and increasing climate risks.
Instead of relying only on short-term field trials, the team built a comprehensive computer model that simulates how weather, water temperature, water quality, clam growth, and solar energy production interact within the same system.
The researchers used system dynamics, a modeling approach designed to represent complex systems with multiple feedback loops. For example, air temperature affects water temperature, which influences dissolved oxygen, clam metabolism, and survival.
To improve accuracy, the model was enhanced with machine learning. An optimization algorithm identified key parameters, and a neural network learned from real monitoring data to reduce simulation errors. Together, these tools created a reliable "digital twin" of the clam pond ecosystem, enabling safe testing of shading levels without disrupting farm operations.
Trade-offs of the AI-powered aquavoltaics system
The findings highlight strong benefits for both climate adaptation and water management. Under 40% solar-panel shading, pond water temperatures fell by approximately 2.5°C during peak heat, helping stabilize pond conditions and reduce heat stress on clams. The shaded surface also slowed evaporation, delivering roughly 30% water savings compared with conventional open-air ponds, an important advantage for water-limited coastal regions.
At the same time, the study confirms that aquavoltaics involves trade-offs. Reduced sunlight can limit phytoplankton growth, contributing to lower clam yields. In this case, clam production under 40% shading was about 27% lower than in traditional ponds.
However, solar electricity provided an added revenue stream that helped offset reduced harvests, while food output remained above common regulatory thresholds. By testing shading from 0% to 70%, the researchers identified an optimal range near 45%, maintaining about 70% of clam yield while substantially boosting solar generation.
Building resilient coastal futures with food–energy systems
"This research shows that aquavoltaics can move beyond compromise toward true integration—offering a scalable pathway to produce food, generate clean energy, and adapt to climate change simultaneously," says Fi-John Chang, Ph.D., distinguished professor of bioenvironmental systems engineering at National Taiwan University and first and corresponding author of the study.
"By aligning food production, renewable energy generation, and climate resilience within a single, land-efficient system, aquavoltaics demonstrates how the water–energy–food–climate–land nexus can be translated from concept into actionable solutions for resilient coastal futures."
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