An Introduction to Agrivoltaics

Written By Rural Power Coalition
Agrivoltaics: harvesting the sun to benefit farmers, crops, and livestock

What are Agrivoltaics?

The term “agrivoltaics” refers to the integration of agriculture and solar energy production, where ground-mounted solar panels are co-located with compatible agricultural practices. Agrivoltaic systems commonly involve keeping livestock pastured alongside solar arrays or even growing vegetable or fruit crops underneath them. Agrivoltaics also include solar sites that incorporate pollinator habitats throughout the array.

 

Is American farmland threatened by solar?

While American farmers are facing many pressures, farmland and solar are not incompatible. In fact, solar systems that are integrated into agricultural production offer a unique and innovative opportunity for American farmers and rural landowners to make efficient use of land. Farmers are facing enormous financial challenges, which can make resisting pressures to sell land for housing developments and industrial parks difficult. But land for large-scale solar can be leased from the landowner, both providing new revenue streams and allowing sites the option to return to exclusive agricultural uses once the panels have been decommissioned (typically 20-30 years after they begin operating).

Interest in agrivoltaics is growing, as these systems have enormous potential for both the solar energy and agriculture industries. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) currently estimates that nearly 500 agrivoltaic sites are operational in the United States. While these dual-use sites already comprise more than 47,000 acres and produce more than 7,000 MW of solar energy, the US is only on the cusp of a transformational opportunity for rural communities.

Agrivoltaics are a solution for farmers and landowners looking to diversify their incomes.

What types of Agrivoltaic systems have been demonstrated?

Vegetables, fruit, livestock, apiaries, and pollinator habitats have all been successfully co-located with solar energy.

Some agrivoltaic systems include pasturing livestock alongside a ground-mounted solar array.

Sheep, goats, and cattle can be grazed among solar panels to maximize land-use outcomes on a single site. Integrating livestock and solar systems provides forage for the animals, who in turn maintain vegetation and minimize site upkeep. In addition to producing clean energy, solar panels cast shade for the animals to shelter under on hot and sunny days.

Another innovative agrivoltaic approach involves growing vegetable and fruit crops on the same site as the panels. Crops can be grown both in-between the rows of solar panels, and/or underneath them. Crops grown under the panels benefit from the cooler temperatures created by the solar array, while crops grown alongside make an efficient use of arable land.

While these dual-use models exist, the NREL data show the vast majority of agrivoltaic sites in operation today integrate pollinator habitat with solar. Pollinator-friendly vegetation is planted around the panels, replacing grass, gravel, or impervious surfaces solar businesses would otherwise use. In return, insects attracted to the site provide pollination services to nearby farms and orchards. Some beekeepers even co-locate their hives with pollinator-friendly solar sites!

What are the benefits of integrating agriculture and solar?

Agrivoltaic systems provide an array of benefits to farmers and landowners, rural communities, and the environment. They can provide habitat for pollinators, reduce the need for herbicides and labor-intensive vegetation management on site, and contribute to stormwater absorption capabilities of the soil by reducing the amount of land converted to impervious surfaces.

Furthermore, with proper site development and decommissioning planning, agrivoltaics leave open the potential for a site to return to purely agricultural uses in the future. Finally, the dual-use nature of agrivoltaics reduces pressure on landowners to convert agricultural land into an entirely different use. Farmland and rural character can be preserved even while rural landowners take advantage of a new opportunity to diversify their farm incomes.

What considerations can ensure successful co-location of solar and agriculture?

Agrivoltaic systems require up-front planning to ensure neither operation impedes the other.

Livestock farmers and solar businesses need to ensure the animals' food, water, and shelter needs are incorporated into the site plan and that the panels are protected from nosy farm animals. For example, sheep tend towards docility, but goats require the installation of more protective measures around the panels and any associated infrastructure, and cattle require more space between rows of panels and for the panels to be mounted much higher off the ground. Crop farmers require the appropriate panel height and spacing for the intended crop.

Are there examples of working farms that utilize Agrivoltaics?

So many! Use the NREL InSPIRE map to see who’s farming with solar in your state.

Go deeper to learn more about Agrivoltaics:

Agrivoltaics in the news:

Sheep graze on Texas solar farms as renewable energy companies embrace agriculture, The Texas Tribune (October 27, 2023)


For Press Inquiries, contact Tom Llewellyn: tom@shareable.net | 925-876-2942

Rural Power Coalition
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