Existing Solar as Farmland Access for Emerging Farmers 

By Rob Davis, Connexus Energy 

“Growing Farmers, Growing Foods” is the mission at Minnesota-based Big River Farms, a program of 501(c)3 nonprofit The Food Group. They recently won the North American Agrivoltaics Award for Best Solar Farm in 2024. Big River Farms teaches farmers to farm organically, sustainably, and regeneratively while also enhancing the level of understanding of the environmental impact that can result from properly implementing these types of farming practices. Specialty crop farmers are the backbone of our food system and are major contributors to local economies. However, land access is a major barrier for many emerging farmers, including farmers of color, in both rural and urban communities.  

Big River Farms Program Manager KaZoua Berry. Photo: AgriSolar Clearinghouse 

In 2022, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture established the nation’s first Emerging Farmers Office, with the intention of helping to remove barriers that emerging farmers face when getting started in farming. This includes new Americans and first-generation farmers who lack access to land or capital. Farmland access has been identified by the Emerging Farmers Office as the most common challenge for these farmers. 

Big River Farms works with farmers who are in constant need of land to farm on. Last year in Big River Farms’ incubator program, several farmers stated that they are ready to leave the incubator farm if they can buy land or access land elsewhere so that they can scale up independently. Expanding their program to solar sites will enable Big River Farms to build leadership and capacity in the immigrant community, diversify and enhance local food production, improve access for low-income households to healthy food, and build cultural bridges between emerging farmers and the larger community.   

Big River Farms, the Food Group, USDA Emerging Farmers Office, and Connexus Energy. Photo: AgriSolar Clearinghouse 

“With thoughtful planning and procurement, the community benefits of multi-acre solar projects can be numerous,” said Brian Ross, vice president of Renewable Energy for Great Plains Institute. “It’s important that we are stacking solutions to local food production and access into the clean energy transition.” 

With this project, the visibility of the dual-use solar will create new connections to the host communities for the solar arrays and build Big River Farms’ success and enhance its mission.  Association of the solar facilities with the Big River Farms’ equity goals will help resolve concerns about loss of agricultural capacity in communities hosting solar development and can contribute to accelerated deployment of solar sites on arable soils.  

“A quarter of an acre between rows can become an incredibly productive plot of land that right now isn’t necessarily in use,” said Sophia Lenarz-Coy, executive director of The Food Group. 

Abundant Crops Grown by Big River Farms Between Rows of Solar Panels. Photo: AgriSolar Clearinghouse 

The Solar Farmland Access for Emerging Farmers project seeks to increase land access to BIPOC and immigrant farmers through the utilization of spaces around solar farms, while concurrently documenting the safe and scalable practices that solar asset owners and insurers can implement as prerequisites of site utilization. Big River Farms, Great Plains Institute, US Solar, and Connexus have worked together to implement best practices from the National Renewable Energy Lab that have created replicable guidance for others seeking to collaborate and enable solar facility access for farming activities. 

Winners of the North American Agrivoltaics Award for Best Solar Farm in 2024: The Food Group, Big River Farms, US Solar, NREL, Great Plains Institute, and Connexus Energy. Photo: AgriSolar Clearinghouse 

Community opposition to multi-acre solar development is driven in part by communities misunderstanding the local benefits of agrivoltaics and thinking that farmland is being taken out of production. Developing solar does not mean farmland is being destroyed or taken out of production. LBNL’s recent research and NREL’s latest publications from the InSPIRE study show that utilities and solar developers need to maintain and improve what is known as “solar’s social license” in communities nationwide. To avoid the worst effects of climate change, more than 3 million additional acres of solar arrays need to be built by 2030.  

While incorporating agriculture into solar designs has been shown to increase public acceptance of solar, some approaches are looking at elevating solar panels 10 feet to grow commodity corn and continue status-quo farming approaches. However, hand-harvested crops commonly sold in farmers markets nationwide can readily be grown in abundance with existing solar facility designs, such as one or two panels on single-axis trackers and torque-tube height of six feet.  

Big River Farms Tomato Crop at US Solar Big Lake Array. Photo: AgriSolar Clearinghouse 

Through the Big River Farms program, farmers learn to scale up their food production while implementing sustainable and regenerative farming practices that improve water quality and usage. Having land access to get started as a specialty crop farmer fills a critical niche in helping address the larger challenges related to land ownership and sustainable, specialty farm operations. Building skills, network, and resources, especially in the agrivoltaics community, helps prepare specialty crop farmers for the next stages of their success. 

Moving Forward: Growing Farmers, Growing Crops 

Moving forward, Big River Farms and Great Plains Institute have been identifying barriers, challenges, and successes of utilizing solar spaces and gathering feedback from farmers, utilities, solar facility owners, and host communities. This project will build capacity and enhance the possibility of success for emerging farmers among immigrant and BIPOC farmers. It will also diversify local agricultural and food-production markets. Most importantly, it will help enhance the communities’ understanding of agrivoltaics systems and diminish the misunderstood concept that solar is taking over valuable agricultural lands.  

With these concepts and practices in place, it will help the organization achieve and sustain the mission of “Growing Farmers, Growing Foods.” Through education, the emerging farmers will succeed and prosper, and through sustainable and regenerative agrivoltaics farming practices, the foods will grow as well. 

Case Study: MNL Pollinator Friendly Conservation Grazing

MNL is an organization with a mission to “Heal the Earth,” through ecological restoration and native species landscaping. As the organization progressed, they established projects on solar sites, including conservation grazing and prioritizing native seeds and plants that provide pollinator benefits. Jake Janski, who’s been with MNL for over 20 years, is one of the leading players for MNL’s conservation grazing projects.  

Janski, Senior Ecologist and the Director of Strategic Planning with MNL, contributes to the organization’s pollinator-friendly solar projects. As he continued his work, he began to see more need for prairie management on solar sites than what mowers could successfully provide. In typical situations, prescribed burns are often used to create a disturbance event, further promoting the health of the prairie. However, prescribed burns could not be used at the solar sites, requiring an alternative method.  

Pollinator plants with solar. Photo: Jake Janski

After meeting a sheep farmer in 2017 who lived near one of MNL’s pollinator-friendly solar sites, MNL decided to try sheep grazing to reinvigorate vegetation and remove dead thatch. With the timing falling at the beginning of the solar grazing industry’s development, and with Minnesota not having a large sheep industry, Janski focused on using sheep solely to help with the pollinator habitat. In other words, they used sheep as another tool for vegetation management and chose not to place the larger focus on sheep production. Janski started seeing surprisingly good results from this method and has built up from there, expanding MNL’s solar grazing projects.  

MNL currently has about 60 Minnesota sites that incorporate solar grazing, with the average site being 20- to 00 acres and 2 to 10 kW. To date, they use 2,500 sheep, and they hope to expand their collaboration with other graziers to increase that number.  

Sheep grazing amongst flowers at a solar site
Sheep grazing amongst flowers at a solar site. Photo: AgriSolar Clearinghouse

The sheep graze the sites for two to four weeks to maintain the vegetation and account for stocking density. Since the sheep are used as a tool to promote pollinator habitat, there is some variability in animal management. There is an ideal time each year to graze the sites, but grazing at the same time each year would negatively interfere with the botanical species composition. To avoid this interference, MNL rotates the timing of grazing between years. 

Occasionally, the site will be grazed at a prime time for pollinators; however, Janski identified benefits for pollinators resulting from carefully managed solar grazing. For example, grazing allows for more gradual blooming periods. Staggering or delaying blooming extends the flowering season and will provide different food sources at different times. Grazing is also less aggressive, with plants rebounding faster than they would following a mowing event. This method promotes wildlife such as songbirds, rodents, and reptiles.  

Broadly speaking, Janski believes that grazing is far easier on all habitats. MNL has secured research funding to continue an on-going study investigating the grazing impacts on vegetation and plant communities at solar sites. The results from this study should further support the benefits of solar grazing.  

Monarch caterpillar and solar. Photo: Jake Janski

Despite the benefits that Janski has observed over time, there are some challenges associated with promoting a healthy trifecta of solar energy production, pollinator habitat, and animal welfare and production. One of his greatest challenges is getting the price points that are needed to build a robust program. He is competing with some low-cost mowing companies, while also dealing with overwintering costs and expenses of hauling water to sites. Janski and the team at MNL had to learn new information at a quick pace about animal health, especially on a landscape with variable conditions. Over time, they’ve been able to create better systems and know what to plan for.  

Bringing sheep on-site has made some aspects of site management easier. They are dealing with less equipment damage and healthier soil. The sheep have helped with weed control, and while they have not completely eliminated the need for spot spraying, they are creating healthier plants with more competition that should make weed infestations less likely over time.  

Janski shared that there was a time when an electric short started a fire on a site; however, the sheep removed the majority of the fire fuel load, resulting in a low-intensity fire that did not get hot enough to cause any damage to the panels. This is in direct contrast to mowing, which leaves a lot of material on the ground, creating a thick dense layer of fuel for fires. 

With such clear advantages, it is no wonder that solar grazing has helped ease the majority of public discomfort regarding solar. Janski recognizes that agrivoltaics (solar grazing and solar pollinator habitat) can be an important, multi-purpose system that benefits communities. He reports that every group that interacts with MNL wants to hear about solar grazing and that they enjoy seeing livestock on the land. This positive support is also helping to get policymakers on board. MNL is in discussions with the state of Minnesota about pollinator scorecards and updated policy-level incentives. Furthermore, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is beginning to push solar grazing from an agricultural perspective, giving others the confidence to get behind it.  

With an increase in community support, Janski recommends creating and maintaining good partnerships with solar companies. The solar industry is a much faster moving market than agriculture in general, so forming these relationships can provide valuable updates on developments within the solar industry.  

This ties in with what Janski identified as MNL’s future goal: to get as far ahead of development as possible. They want to build sites that serve as a solar site and as a farm, with structures and paddocks pre-built. The sites will also promote pollinator habitat. To accomplish this, more market analysis is needed to show the importance of investing in agrivoltaic modifications at the start of site planning. Janski and MNL want to expand their reach to other states that are not yet as solar-heavy. This can be accomplished by serving as consultants to provide and share evidence and examples of sites that have seen beneficial progress during the development and operation of an agrivoltaic site to large audiences through marketing. 

Case Study: Caleb Scott, United Agrivoltaics

In 2012, Caleb Scott was working with solar developers to help seed and build sites. As he got more involved in the industry, his job expanded to help properly maintain these sites. Scott began mowing the solar sites but quickly realized it was a challenging task. Every site was different, with varying degrees of ground levelness, infrastructure spacing, and site vegetation-management requirements. Additionally, he had to be careful around the panels to avoid any damage from his equipment.  

When not working on-site, Scott, a seventh-generation farmer, took care of his flock of sheep. He realized that sheep would do a much better job at vegetation management than mowers and would get around easier. However, despite his experience in managing sheep and solar vegetation, it was difficult to convince the industry that sheep could be a valuable form of vegetation management. Scott began to work with Cornell University to collaborate with solar developers and use the University’s property to perform a demonstration site for solar grazing. This work gave him proof of concept, and he began grazing on solar sites in 2013.  

Photo of Caleb Scott

Caleb Scott of United Agrivoltaics at a solar site. Photo: Caleb Scott

After Scott received his first solar grazing contract, he was able to grow and strengthen his practice. In addition to being a founding board member of the American Solar Grazing Association, he also created United Agrivoltaics, one of the first and oldest agrivoltaic sheep-grazing firms in the U.S. United Agrivoltaics functions as a co-operative to promote expansion of the solar grazing industry and now has 103 sites in nine states. The organization uses Scott’s unique background to provide vegetation management with solar grazing, as well as consulting to implement agrivoltaics on solar projects.  

Scott and the other 80+ graziers involved with United Agrivoltaics pride themselves on creating a healthy, shared-use system. While their specialty is in solar grazing with sheep, they have also used chickens, turkeys, rabbits, and pigs to help maintain the site vegetation and increase the overall productivity of the site. Scott uses three different styles of grazing: mob, rotational, and low-impact sustained grazing. These management methods provide financial benefits in some cases and health benefits in others. Scott’s main priority when deciding which style to use depends on what is going to work best for the on-site forage content, as well as for his farm and animals.  

United Agrivoltaics recognizes the variability between sites and offers different tiers of service to help overcome this. This is a major benefit for asset owners as it allows them to form a contract and relationship with one party for all their site-management needs. Scott’s full management package includes services such as exterior perimeter mows, spraying herbicide as needed to control noxious or invasive species, and a clean-up mow to manage the vegetation the sheep did not eat.  

The flexibility of United Agrivoltaics’ services has helped the organization grow over time. They are currently grazing 15,000 sheep on more than 5,100 acres of solar sites, with a goal to double the number of sheep in the upcoming year. Scott himself is grazing 650 sheep on 200 acres, and this growth allowed solar grazing to become his full-time job. He and United Agrivoltaics have purchased and acquired other companies along the way to help them grow.  

As United Agrivoltaics continues to expand, they ensure that their services remain competitive with the costs of mechanical mowing. The grazing costs will vary depending on location and which rating scale the site owner chooses for their site. In an area with farm readiness considerations being met, fees can range from $380/acre for the full management package to more than $1,500/acre. Despite the large range in pricing, Scott recognizes that generalizing pricing would have a negative impact on the solar grazing industry due to the number of variables that determine contract pricing, such as site management requirements and feasibility for the grazier. 

Photo of three sheep on a solar site.

A trio of sheep on a solar site. Photo: American Solar Grazing Association

In addition to difficulties associated with selecting the correct pricing for a site, insurance can be an added challenge when solar grazing, as extra costs typically do not outweigh the value of the contract. One of Scott’s biggest initial challenges in the solar grazing industry was learning to manage the site as dictated by the contract. In some cases, he has had to change his vision of what he thinks the site should look like in order to meet the site owner’s needs. Farming motives can differ from solar operation motives and requires calculating the correct stocking densities. 

To help overcome these challenges, Scott’s advice is to reach out and talk to someone who has done it before to ask a lot of questions and educate yourself.  

“This industry requires a lot of teamwork, especially since the solar grazing industry is so young and we have so few sheep in the country. We need to help and support one another.” — Caleb Scott. 

Teaming up with individuals who have prior experience could allow for sharing things like insurance (costs), equipment, and other resources, which could mean saving additional money. It is also beneficial to discuss contracts with those who have experience. Scott recommends finding an organization, like ASGA, that helps farmers and joining them to learn and share ideas. 

This teamwork represents Scott’s overall goal for the solar grazing industry and United Agrivoltaics, which is to have as many sheep in the organization as are currently in the U.S. right now–over 3 million. He wants to accomplish this by expanding his company and farming group nationwide. By doing so, he hopes to see the sheep industry increase tenfold in the next 20 years, and he wants to be a part of that change. If this were to be accomplished, it would undoubtedly afford tremendous benefits for the solar-grazing industry. 

Case Study: Julie Bishop, Solar Sheep LLC

American Solar Grazing Association

Julie Bishop’s involvement in the solar grazing industry began with a snowball effect after receiving a herding dog. Once she acquired a herding dog for her grazing operation, she trained it in herding at her home, which progressed to owning ewes and lambs and operating a hobby sheep farm. Then, in 2013, Bishop discovered that there was a solar field just five miles from her New Jersey home. She soon realized that sheep could manage the vegetation just as well as the traditional gas-powered mowers that were used on the site. She then got to work to make her idea a reality.  

Bishop began the lengthy process of getting her sheep on that solar site. The land had originally been used as agricultural land but had been forfeited for the sole use of solar. Bishop and the solar company had to go to the municipality to ask for agriculture to be reinstated at that site. Additionally, they had to appear in front of the zoning and planning departments, send a letter to the community, and hold an open comment period in order to receive a variance. Finally, after nearly a year, Bishop was approved to move forward and was able to bring her sheep on-site for grazing.  

A sheep under solar panels. Photo: American Solar Grazing Association

Despite being one of the first solar graziers and not having connections to consult, Bishop was able to successfully manage her first site. News of this success spread, and additional companies reached out to Bishop to form new contracts. Since then, she has grazed in three states.  

Bishop says that solar grazing changed her life. Once a teacher, she is now a successful farmer who is only able to have her sheep operating at a larger capacity than she initially anticipated because of solar grazing. Her home farm is six acres, but the solar sites she grazes provide her the space she needs to expand her operation. She is now at the point of maximum capacity unless she changes her management style. 

Currently, Bishop puts dry ewes on the solar site in the spring, then adds and removes rams, and brings the ewes home at the end of the grazing season to lamb around November and December. The lambs are then weaned, and the dry ewes return to the solar site. To expand her operation, Bishop would instead start lambing on the solar site around April and May. While the lambing process requires a lot of initial work, it would lead to a less labor-intensive and lower input management for Bishop. Along with changing the way she grazes, Bishop is waiting for more solar sites that are in close proximity to her home farm.  

In addition to the challenges with expanding, Bishop identified some aspects of solar sites that can prove difficult when compared to traditional sheep management, such as site layout, trucking in water, and exterior perimeter fences that lack proper predator-proofing. After years of experience, Bishop has the knowledge and practice to overcome these challenges. For example, she worked with the solar developer at a site to build a bracket to prevent sheep from rubbing up against an emergency switch. The bracket keeps the equipment safe from the sheep but still provides easy access for a person as needed.  

Sheep moving through a solar site. Photo: AgriSolar Clearinghouse

The sites that Bishop grazes were not created with the intention of solar grazing, and this can lead to difficulties such as a poor line of sight when moving sheep. Bishop has been able to overcome this issue with the assistance of a well-trained herding dog. It is only fitting that the reason she became involved in the solar grazing industry is now one of her greatest assets.  

In her solar grazing work, Bishop has seen a shift in community perception. During the initial stages of solar development, there was pushback from communities that did not want agricultural land being used for solar development. Once Bishop brought the idea of solar grazing to the community, there was still some hesitation toward the new concept, and no one knew what to expect. Her success has allowed the community to view dual-use solar in a different way, and there is now a positive perception of solar grazing in her area.  

As one of the first solar graziers, Bishop is well equipped to provide advice to those looking to join the industry. She suggests teaming up with someone who has experience in solar grazing to learn the ins and outs of the practice. Additionally, patience is necessary. It is difficult to plan, and there are often periods of waiting for approvals and construction. Finally, she recommends carefully selecting sheep that will be a good fit for the management system. 

Bishop is a true example of the beneficial opportunities that solar grazing can provide. The additional land access granted to her through her contracts allowed her to not only expand her operation, but also to become an innovator in the expanding industry.  

Expanding Agrivoltaics in Massachusetts

For several years, NCAT has been highlighting the benefits of agrivoltaics through the AgriSolar Clearinghouse project. And just as there are significant benefits to agrivoltaics, there are also barriers that keep more sites from being developed across the country, such as extra costs for site design, reduced energy production per acre, regulatory issues, and community pushback. In the current environment, it can take a passionate, mission-driven company to lead the way in changing how solar is integrated into agricultural systems. BlueWave is one such company.

BlueWave, a Boston-based solar development company, focuses on agrivoltaic solar projects, helping farmers design and integrate solar energy production on their farmland. One of the most prolific agrivoltaic developers in the country, BlueWave has recently added five more of these sites to their project portfolio, which totals over 91 acres and produces over 19 megawatts (MW) of electricity—enough to power more than 2,500 homes.

BlueWave’s latest series of installations began in 2023 and will be completed this year in four separate towns across Massachusetts. These systems were designed for adaptive dual-use purposes, meaning that a variety of agricultural enterprises can take place under the panels. Collectively, these solar installations represent many major agrivoltaic practices, including vegetable production, hay making, and grazing of sheep and cattle. Also, the forage blends used on the grazing sites include plants that are beneficial for pollinators.

(Caption: The increased height of the panels at this Dighton location allows the farmer to access the land with agricultural equipment. Photo: BlueWave)

One project in Dighton, Massachusetts, encompasses 21 fenced acres with 3.6 MW of installed solar panels that will produce an estimated 5,660 megawatt-hours of energy annually. Battery storage will contribute to the resilience of the electric grid by allowing the installation to provide clean energy to the grid when the sun isn’t shining. The panels here are raised 10 feet off the ground with 25 feet of space between the rows of panel post supports. This spacing will allow for agriculture equipment operation under the panels. BlueWave will be managing this site for the 2024 season, planting cover crops to improve soil health and fertility in preparation for vegetable production on the site. A small section of the land will be used to grow vegetables this year, though the final agricultural use will be determined by the farmer and will be adaptable over the years.

An hour away in the town of Douglas, a very similar solar installation will soon be completed and will be managed by a local farmer. Just over 20 acres was fenced to house 3.4 MW of power production. These panels are also raised and spaced to allow the farmer to maintain and harvest the hay fields below the panels.

A third, slightly smaller BlueWave agrivoltaic site was completed in Haverhill, a town in the far northeastern part of the state. Almost 15 acres were fenced in here with just over 2 MW of solar installed. Again, the panels were raised high enough to allow for grazing or tractor work on the fields

below the panels. A combination of vegetable production and livestock grazing by local farmers is the most likely use for this location.

(Caption: This site in Haverhill, Massachusetts, stands ready for grazing and vegetable production by local farmers. Photo: BlueWave)

On the other side of the state, a 2.4-MW system covering almost 12 acres was developed near the town of Palmer. This system, like the others, is designed for tractor work and large livestock grazing. The site will continue to be used by the landowner, Burgundy Brook Farm, for making hay and to graze cattle. As with the other sites that will see the use of farming equipment under the panels, the solar arrays are elevated, and the support posts are spaced to accommodate equipment and to allow enough sunlight to grow crops and forages under the panels.

A fifth BlueWave installation, also in Palmer, has a more conventional design with the panels closer to the ground and the panel rows closer together. But even here, the plan is for sheep grazing to manage the vegetation under the panels. Solar grazing like this can benefit farmers looking for land to graze their sheep. It can be less costly for the solar site management than hiring a land-management company or landscaper to do the job. And the generous amount of shade provided by the panels has multiple benefits for the sheep herd and the forage being grown. (See the recent ATTRA blog post “Throw Some Shade: Protecting Livestock from Heat Stress.”)

(Caption: Burgundy Brook Farm owns the land at this site in Palmer and will continue to graze cattle and make hay here. Photo: BlueWave)

In a further commitment to support agricultural production, BlueWave provided specialized farm equipment for use at several of these sites. For the site in Dighton, BlueWave has purchased a Carraro 80-hp tractor, a 3-shank chisel plow, a rotary harrow and seeder, a flail mower, and a 3-point to skid-steer adapter plus buckets. They anticipate purchasing an additional cultivating tractor, plastic mulch layer and water wheel transplanter for use on this site. Additionally, BlueWave purchased a John Deere 5425 and a Kuhn baler for Burgundy Brook Farm to use in their hay and grazing operation at the site in Palmer.

Agrivoltaics can help mitigate many of the challenging issues associated with the intense expansion of utility- scale solar development happening across the country. It can keep land in agricultural production while simultaneously producing valuable solar energy for the grid. The shade provided by the solar arrays can help retain soil moisture and improve the growth of many types of crops and forages with reduced irrigation. The shade also reduces heat stress and improves herd health when the land is used for grazing. The financial benefits for the farmer can help keep high-value land as farmland and facilitate the transfer of that land to the next generation. BlueWave understands these possibilities and is creating a space for them with on-the-ground agrivoltaic installations in Massachusetts.

Tools for Building a Brighter and Greener Future 

By Dan Salas and Ben Campbell, University of Illinois Chicago Sustainable Landscapes Program  

Building out the renewable energy capacity needed to make a clean energy transition is no easy task. Siting projects, engineering designs, addressing community interests, and obtaining the resources for construction requires thoughtful planning. Increasingly, one design aspect is gaining more attention: plants.  

As important as any solar panel array, substation, or other “hard” infrastructure, the plants making up the ground covers are critical to site management. Vegetation on renewable energy development (particularly community- and utility-scale solar) has gained attention for its ability to provide added benefits like pollinator and wildlife habitat, soil health, runoff reduction, carbon capturing, and community aesthetics.  

Plant communities, just like other design components, are influenced by many factors. Often underestimated as “the green stuff,” designing, installing, establishing, and maintaining plant communities on large solar arrays can be costly and complex. When done well, it can create an asset to both the project and community. When implemented poorly, it can become a costly and long-term headache for site owners and communities.   

Across the country, communities are asking that solar projects include pollinator habitat in their vegetation planning. As a result, solar developers and site owners have had to face questions like:   

  • What types of plants are included in solar pollinator vegetation?   
  • How do I establish it?   
  • How much will this cost?   
  • If successful, will it result in improvements for local pollinators?   
  • How do we sustain vegetation investments over the duration of solar project lifespan?   

To address these questions, in 2021, The University of Illinois Chicago, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office Awardee, began the Pollinator Habitat Aligned with Solar Energy (PHASE) project. This four-year project studies the ecological, economic, and performance impacts of solar pollinator vegetation. Building on this research and industry collaboration, the project also created a suite of decision tools to help site designers and vegetation planners with making informed decisions about plant selection, vegetation management, and addressing project and community goals.  

The four tools developed under the PHASE project have been released and are now free and available for use:   

  • The solar pollinator vegetation implementation manual is an interactive online document to guide users through considerations for vegetation decisions at large- scale solar sites. It also helps identify site goals, pitfalls for implementation, and how to sustain desired benefits over the duration of a project lifespan.  
  • A cost comparison calculator was developed to help project teams consider upfront and long-term costs of plant communities designed for projects. This tool is offered in two formats: one is a simplified online calculator for quick estimates, and the  other is a downloadable Excel tool that allows teams to edit more variables and create a more refined estimate. The outputs of this tool can help inform decisions on construction and operational budgets.  
  • Once target vegetation communities have been identified and budgeted for, the seed selection tool can be used to find species suitable for seed-mixed development. Users can then connect with seed vendors and share outputs to purchase seed material. Project design teams may also use this tool to confirm seed mixes identified for a site and potential substitution species, if needed. Outputs of this tool can be shared with project teams and seed vendors to help seed-mix development in site, design, and vegetation management planning.  
  • Once vegetation is established, the pollinator habitat assessment modules can help verify that vegetation was successfully established and the desired pollinator benefits have resulted from the work completed. A three-tiered series of assessments offers scalability, depending on time and knowledge resources available. These rapid assessments are supplemented by a series of guidance documents that help users decide sampling regimes monitoring needs and reduce monitoring costs.  

Together, these tools offer the renewable energy industry a series of resources that will help improve vegetation management across thousands of acres. While developed with solar pollinator vegetation in mind, these tools are also applicable to other vegetation management programs. Better vegetation management and planning combined with renewable energy creates a brighter future for humans and nature alike.  

About the Solar Energy Technologies Office   

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office accelerates the advancement and deployment of solar technology in support of an equitable transition to a decarbonized economy. Learn more at energy.gov/eere/solar.   

About the University of Illinois Chicago Sustainable Landscapes Program  

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Energy Resources Center is home to the Sustainable Landscapes Program and the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group, which convenes people at the intersection of biodiversity and infrastructure.  

Case Study: Alaska Agrivoltaics

By Savannah Crichton, University of Alaska Fairbanks 

Southcentral Alaska is home to the state’s first agrivoltaics project, a study that aims to uncover the best practices for harvesting from both land and sun. The research team will monitor both farmed crops and native berry plants that grow between the rows of panels at an operational solar PV array.  The solar array is situated in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, where the majority of Alaska’s farmland is located.  

The project, Agrivoltaics: Unlocking Mid-Market Solar in Rural Northern Climates, is a three-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO).  

In 2023, solar developer and project partner Renewable IPP (RIPP) built an 8.5-megawatt solar array in Houston, Alaska, which was financed by diversified clean energy company, CleanCapital. This array is classified as mid-market solar–the middle ground between commercial solar projects and large-scale (>100MW+) utility solar. RIPP sells the electricity produced at this site to Matanuska Electric Association, the regional utility.  

Ribbon cutting at the solar array in Houston, Alaska. 

At northern latitudes, the sun hits the earth at a lower angle, causing solar panels to shade each other during sunrises and sunsets. To maximize energy production and avoid shading, solar developers may increase row spacing. With intentional design and wider rows, there’s ample land open between these rows for foraging or farming. 

The new Houston array is situated on a berry stand well known to local berry pickers. Drawing from their previous solar farm development experience, RIPP intentionally found a way to minimize the environmental impact of solar construction and increase community acceptance by maintaining as much of the native vegetation as possible. Some of the boreal species growing onsite include willow, alder, birch, moss, fireweed, labrador tea, bog blueberry, and lingonberry. The latter two are edible berry species that carry meaningful value to Alaska Native cultures and are prized by many in Alaska’s summer months.  

Instead of aggressive clearing methods that level land and remove certain ecological services, a low-mulching protocol was used to preserve topsoil and low-growing woody shrubs. Native low-growing species, like berries, can continue to grow and sequester carbon. If nutrient-rich soil is left intact, solar developers leave options open for the development of agrivoltaic applications to co-locate their array with food production.  

Blueberry bushes growing on the solar site. 

That’s exactly what a team of researchers at UAF from the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) and the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension (IANRE) intend to study. UAF is one of six projects funded under the Foundational Agrivoltaic Research for Megawatt Scale (FARMS) program to conduct research on agrivoltaic opportunity for their communities.  

Principal Investigator Christopher Pike from ACEP and co-investigators Glenna Gannon and Jessie Young-Robertson pulled together an interdisciplinary team of engineers, farmers, and solar experts. The research team is joined by Alaska Pacific University (APU) Spring Creek Farm Manager and project co-investigator Benjamin Swimm,and RIPP founders Jenn Miller and Chris Colbert.  

Under the mission to bolster food and energy security, the team will measure both solar PV production and physiological health of crops over two growing seasons, develop a techno-economic analysis to guide future mid-market solar PV and agriculture projects, and connect with the community through educational programming.  

CEO and Manager of Renewable IPP Jenn Miller speaks to crowd at the solar farm. 

In the first few months of the project, the team compiled a diverse stakeholder pool of northern and Alaska-based landowners, farmers, utilities, solar developers, tribal organizations, academic researchers, and environmental agencies. Through individual outreach, team networks, and local events, over 200 people signed up to participate in a stakeholder needs assessment survey.  

The survey was distributed to evaluate stakeholder perspectives towards agrivoltaics in rural northern contexts. In addition to this data, the team will conduct a techno-economic analysis to understand the economic conditions in Alaska that may create hurdles or opportunities for those interested in developing agrivoltaic systems.  

The contributions from the stakeholder survey and follow-up interviews will inform the project’s agricultural research plans and economic analysis. Broadly, this input helps the team understand community acceptance and potential adoption of multi-use solar farms while also adding color to the picture of food and energy security in rural, northern regions.  

Preparation of the agricultural research plots at the Houston array will begin in summer 2024. The acidic silt loam soil will be amended with lime and compost in plot locations to make them more amenable to agricultural growth.  

With the soils tilled, planting will begin in summer 2025. A combination of popular commercial vegetables and animal forage crops will be planted and monitored throughout the growing season for their productivity both inside and outside the solar array.  

Crops at northern latitudes undergo unique challenges, like cool growing seasons and high solar radiation loads. Because of these unique conditions, some crops grown under solar PV arrays may experience improved productivity, while other crops that are usually productive in the rural north may not perform as well.  

Gannon, Young-Robertson, and ACEP research professional Savannah Crichton will coordinate the collection of plant physiology data of the agricultural crops, as well as the existing blueberry and lingonberry plants. Leaf-level physiological measurements of photosynthesis, transpiration, water use, and stress help define the dimensions of health in plants. These measurements will allow the team to understand the impact that fixed solar modules and increased shade have on the plants’ overall health, crop yield, and produce quality.

Close-up of the blueberries growing on-site.

Likewise, Pike and ACEP research engineer Henry Toal will monitor the solar power production and gauge the impact of farming activities on the array’s operation and maintenance costs. Weaving together qualitative, economic, physiological, and electrical data will allow the team to evaluate the feasibility of agrivoltaic systems in the north.  

Rural households in Alaska spend nearly 27% of their annual income on energy expenses, and around 95% of Alaska’s non-subsistence food supply is imported. If an agrivoltaic model works in Alaska, it could be a major breakthrough for increasing food and energy security in the state. The impacts of this research have significant potential value, not just for solar developers and farmers, but for entire communities.  

If you’d like to learn more about the project, visit our website or email Savannah at sgcrichton@alaska.edu.  

The research is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) Award # DE-EE0010442. 

Case Study: Oregon Agrivoltaic Research Facility

Cantaloupe melons growing between rows of solar panels. 

By Anna Richmond-Mueller, NCAT Energy Analyst

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Just south of Portland, Oregon, researchers with Oregon State University (OSU) are putting agrisolar principles to the test at the Oregon Agrivoltaic Research Facility. The site is located at the Noth Willamette Research and Extension Center (NWREC) and serves as host to OSU’s ongoing agrivoltaic research under the leadership of Dr. Chad Higgins. The numerous studies conducted on the site will contribute to advancements in multiple fields, including plant physiology, water usage, and soil health, all while producing power for Oregon citizens through a community solar program.  

While agrivoltaics research has picked up in recent years, a large number of the sites being studied were not originally built with agrisolar pursuits in mind. Although it’s entirely possible to successfully integrate agricultural practices into an existing solar array, using only these sites for research lessens the opportunity to discover agrivoltaic’s full potential. With the Oregon Agrivoltaic Research Facility, Dr. Higgins and OSU flipped the narrative by instead asking: what if a solar site was designed to maximize agricultural production?  

The OSU team felt it was important to approach the project from the perspective of a farmer looking to add panels into their current operations. With that goal in mind, the decision was made to design an array that wouldn’t necessitate the purchase of specialized farming equipment capable of working amongst the panels. Instead, they used NWREC’s current tractor to determine how far apart the bifacial panels needed to be spaced and chose a racking system that can tilt to a vertical position on command.  

A row of dry farmed crops between solar panels. 

Once again approaching the project as a farmer might, Dr. Higgins and his team chose to fund the project through loans, investors, and grants rather than having the university entirely foot the bill. The team partnered with Oregon Clean Power Cooperative (OCPC), who financed the project and maintain ownership over the site. OSU contributed about 5% of the necessary funds, and OCPC’s community investment model provided the framework for local investors to contribute as well. The project also received grants from both Portland General Electric and the Roundhouse Foundation, which provided funding for on-site NWREC staff, research, materials, and construction costs. OSU anticipates the project will pay for itself in about 10 years.  

In addition to providing space for agrisolar research, the site also serves as a community solar operation with Oregon Clean Power Cooperative. OCPC was heavily involved in the project from the beginning, working with Dr. Higgins to design the system and purchase the equipment in the midst of a supply chain crisis during the pandemic. Thanks to the dedication of both parties, construction on the 5-acre, 320-kW site wrapped up in the fall of 2022, and it began producing power the following April. The site is OCPC’s first community solar project for Portland General Electric customers. Currently, OSU buys some of the power from the array, and the remaining is purchased by a local church, synagogue, and area residents, including low-income households who receive the power at a 50% discount. The partnership between OCPC and OSU has been so successful that OCPC is in the process of developing two more sites for OSU’s agrivoltaic research in the state.

Melon crop area being monitored for detailed data collection. 

Although the Oregon Agrivoltaic Research Facility is only in its first year of operation, extensive studies are already underway onsite. By the end of fall 2023, a study on soil compaction from installation will be complete, as well as an investigation into soil health in bare ground versus agrivoltaic spaces. OSU is also investing in long-term research, with a 20-year study on pollinators beginning in fall 2023. More extensive soil-quality projects will also start in the fall, looking to determine how an agrisolar system impacts soil health markers over 20 or more years. Sheep will graze on the site for part of the year, allowing for research on seasonal forage and sheep nutrition.  

Dr. Chad Higgins and Follow the Sun tour attendees behind Argonne National Lab’s wildlife monitoring camera. 

Nestled in the center of the array is a grassy row with a camera set at one end, seemingly at odds with the rows of plants surrounding it. This unassuming row is actually the location of two important studies, one focused on wildlife and the other on grass growth as a proxy for crop productivity. Argonne National Laboratory monitors the camera for wildlife that wander into the array, concentrating specifically on observing how the bird population interacts with the solar array. The grass is just one of several plots around the world included in an ongoing study by the United Nations, which is dedicated to predicting how certain crops will grow in a given environment. NWREC is home to another one of these plots, located outside of the array, and OSU team will analyze how the two onsite plots compare. This will give them insight into how a number of crops are likely to grow within the array without having to actually cultivate each plant.  

In September 2023, the AgriSolar Clearinghouse’s Follow the Sun tour had the opportunity to join Dr. Higgins in Oregon and see the OSU team’s crop research in action. The researchers chose to grow their crops using a technique called “dry farming,” which relies on soil moisture and rainfall to water the plants rather than irrigation. Agrivoltaics pairs particularly well with dry farming because the shade from the solar panels significantly reduces soil moisture loss. Several varieties of squash, tomatoes, melons, hemp, and hydrangeas were successfully growing between the panels, and plans to add blueberries in the coming months were on the docket, as well. More than 75 people signed up to attend the tour and had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Higgins discuss the research facility, scalability of the project, financial considerations, and initial observations of the plants growing within the array.  

The Oregon Agrivoltaic Research Facility’s commitment to embracing dual-use agriculture is truly inspiring. In addition to the research already in progress, there is an entire row of panels dedicated to experiential learning, the development of lesson plans, and opportunities for students. OSU’s clear investment in both current and future leaders in the agrisolar world leaves little doubt that the site will become a major contributor to the ever-growing body of agrivoltaic knowledge. 

Hemp plants (left) and delicata squash (right) growing within the array. 

Photo credit: NCAT

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Harvest the Sun — Twice

Vines growing among solar arrays. Photo: NCAT

By Brian Naughton, Co-Founder Circle Two, LLC. This article was first published in the NM Healthy Soil blog.

The sun provides abundant energy here in New Mexico, something I’ve appreciated professionally and personally since moving here ten years ago to work on renewable energy. The sun can also be a bit much at times as seen in my rather disappointing tomato patch this year. I’ve always enjoyed gardening as a hobby, but a few years ago I decided to step things up a bit by volunteering at the Rio Grande Community Farm located on the Los Poblanos Open Space in the North Valley of Albuquerque. I’ve learned so much from the community that gathers and works there about every aspect of growing food from soil health, irrigation methods, tools from small to big, and climate-controlled greenhouses to the changing climate of the open field.

One of my first days volunteering at the farm I noticed a stack of solar panels in the barn and began to brainstorm ways my renewable energy background and interest in growing food might work together. In the course of my research I came across the term agrisolar. Agrisolar, or agrivoltaics as it is sometimes called, is simply the co-location of solar power production with appropriate agricultural land use. This definition comes from the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), hosts of the AgriSolar Clearinghouse, a website for all stakeholders who are interested in finding trusted agrisolar information, funding sources, events, and more. 

As I’ve learned, there are multiple potential benefits of pairing solar and agriculture. As interest in both renewable energy and sustainable agriculture grows, agrisolar has the potential to meet both needs. The benefits include producing food, conserving ecosystems, creating renewable energy, increasing pollinator habitat, and maximizing farm revenue. In our arid Southwest landscape, researchers at the University of Arizona have found the microenvironment among the solar panels can increase humidity, decrease daytime temperatures, and increase nighttime temperatures, all of which can increase the efficiency of crop production and solar electricity generation in a symbiotic relationship.

Tomatoes growing in an agrivoltaic setting. Photo: NCAT

I find the broader connections between energy and food quite interesting and important. Sunlight is the primary energy source that keeps our living ecosystem, and our human gizmos, moving. Plants absorb the daily flows of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide in the air into biomass above and below ground. Our human systems largely do the opposite, combusting stocks of solar energy in the form of fossil fuels in the ground and turning them into carbon dioxide in the air, with all the resulting impacts we’ve come to know too well. Our domesticated crops turn out, perhaps unsurprisingly, to be a bit of a mix of energy sources.

Researchers at the University of Michigan have compiled data from multiple sources to produce some eye-opening infographics on energy use in the US food system. The biggest takeaway for me is that on average it requires 14 times the energy inputs for each calorie we consume, and the majority of that input is still fossil fuels. Perhaps agrisolar projects can help shift that statistic towards something more sustainable, but there are some knowledge gaps about how best to deploy this technology.

Agrisolar in New Mexico

One of the six soil health principles promoted by New Mexico Healthy Soil and others is to know your context. This applies equally well to agrisolar projects and the need for location-specific knowledge. While some agrisolar knowledge and practice is universal, much of it is location-specific. Fortunately, there are a few nascent efforts in New Mexico beginning to explore agrisolar applications and develop best practices for our state. I’ve chosen a few to highlight that I’m aware of, but I’m sure there are many more people and organizations that are experimenting with this approach that I have not yet learned of. 

New Mexico State University

Researchers at New Mexico State University just completed their first year investigating New Mexico green chile production under partial agrivoltaics shading at the Leyendecker Plant Science Research Center near Las Cruces. Drs. Marisa Thompson, Stephanie Walker, Olga Lavrova, and Israel Joukhadar lead the project that is supported by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant program. Mariela Estrada is a graduate student on the project helping to coordinate the field trial and gather data, which is currently being analyzed. The project is exploring the effects of integrating solar panels into vegetable production fields, with a particular focus on the impact on disease, plant growth, and overall yield. This innovative integration of technology into agricultural fields has the potential to offer dual benefit to New Mexico producers, protecting their crops from the region’s hot and arid climate while simultaneously generating additional income through renewable energy production. The researchers are considering additional crops they could study in the coming years.

Chiles growing on an agrisolar research site at New Mexico State University. Photo: Israel Joukhadar

USDA Agricultural Research Service

Another agrivoltaics research project in the Las Cruces area is being led by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. Brandon Bestelmeyer from the Range Management Research location and Derek Whitelock from the Southwest Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory are collaborating on a project titled “Sustainable Multi-functional Agricultural and Energy Systems for Arid Environments.” The project aims to develop optimized agrivoltaic designs for rangeland, crops, and processing facilities and to build accompanying decision support tools including economic and life-cycle assessments so farmers and ranchers can make informed decisions about their operations. The project will be a highly collaborative effort engaging with multiple stakeholders. University partners will support experiments in photovoltaic installations exploring crop and soil types common to Southwestern ecosystems at agricultural research centers and postharvest processors. Government agencies and agricultural stakeholders managing land on which renewable energy is being developed are also envisioned as project partners. The project just kicked off in 2023 and will begin by defining knowledge gaps about potential agrivoltaic co-benefits and challenges to determine priorities for subsequent research in the region.

Los Alamos National Laboratory

One of the first agrivoltaics projects I learned about was in the El Rito area led by Los Alamos National Laboratory researcher Sanna Sevanto to support Trollworks, a biochar production equipment manufacturer located in Santa Clara, NM. Funded through the New Mexico Small Business Assistance Program, the researchers tested the effects of biochar on plant growth in an agrivoltaics setting at the solar installation located at Northern New Mexico College’s El Rito campus. Growth and productivity of tomato and Swiss chard was compared on plots where originally non-arable soil was amended to crop growth by incorporating compost and a compost-biochar mixture to the original soil under and next to the solar panels (see photo). The 1.5-megawatt solar installation itself was constructed in 2019 under a partnership between Northern New Mexico College, Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC), and Guzman Energy. The array helps to transition not only the college, but also the entire KCEC membership and communities west of the Rio Grande served by KCEC toward achieving 100% daytime solar power.

SunShare

Community solar offers a particularly exciting opportunity for agrivoltaics in New Mexico. Signed into law in 2021, the program administrator awarded the first 200 megawatts of capacity to multiple solar developers to construct projects up to 5 megawatts each that will offer subscriptions to customers of the three investor-owned utilities in the state. One of those developers is SunShare, a developer of community solar installations founded in 2011. In addition to providing workforce development opportunities, lease payments to local landowners, and electric bill discounts to low-income subscribers, SunShare will be working with New Mexico Healthy Soil Working Group to incorporate agrivoltaic design concepts into their New Mexico projects. SunShare already has some demonstrated experience with agrisolar on a project in Minnesota working with local farmers on vegetable production and an apiary located within the solar panel rows (see Minnesota Farm Guide: Agrivoltaics—Solar plus farm production is gaining ground).

Sandia National Laboratories

The final agrivoltaics project I’d like to highlight is from a diverse team led by Dr. Ken Armijo at Sandia National Laboratories with partners at SkySun, University of New Mexico, Jemez Mountain Electric Cooperative, Rio Grande Community Farm, and my own company, Circle Two. The project started this fall and will explore a novel solar technology developed by Skysun and Sandia over the next two years including laboratory testing at Sandia, field testing at Rio Grande Community Farm and assessing the commercial potential within the Jemez Mountain Electric Cooperative service area. The unique design of the photovoltaic system (see image) will allow improved crop cultivation access with tractors and personnel along with more efficient operations and maintenance over commercially available fixed-framed agrivoltaics installations. The agrivoltaics system will be connected to a battery storage and control system forming a microgrid to power on-site loads including an electric tractor and irrigation pumps. This project brings my agrivoltaics journey full circle starting with that stack of solar panels in the barn and now exploring the potential benefits of combining solar energy and crops in the field at the nearby fields at Rio Grande Community Farm.

Click here to view the original post and photos on the New Mexico Healthy Soil blog.

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New Mexico’s Chile Crop Is Hot on Agrivoltaics 

Chile plants within shade of photovoltaic panels (right) and chile plants cultivated in full sun (left). 

Written for the AgriSolar Clearinghouse by Israel Joukhadar and Stephanie Walker, New Mexico State University  

New Mexico has tremendous potential in solar energy production thanks to its consistently sunny weather and high levels of solar irradiance. Presently, the state’s solar market holds a value of $3.2 billion with significant room for expansion. As stakeholders express increasing interest, they are discovering a trend observed in several other states: some of the most favorable locations for extensive solar developments are within agricultural production fields. The concept of integrating photovoltaic (PV) panels into these fields, known as agrivoltaics, has gathered attention and investment. 

Chile (Capsicum annuum L.) holds significant importance as a vegetable crop in New Mexico. Chile was initially brought to New Mexico more than 400 years ago and it has been continuously cultivated throughout the state since that time. Its cultivation and trade hold immense cultural importance to New Mexico, while simultaneously contributing to the state’s economy by providing income and employment to farmers and through supporting industries. Producers in the state harvest both red and green crops. Green fruit are full size, but physiologically immature, while red fruit are physiologically mature. The question of “Red or Green?” is the official state question, symbolizing the preference for either red or green chile and showcasing cultural attachment to this beloved crop.    

New Mexico State University is home to the longest running chile pepper breeding and genetics program in the world. This initiative traces its roots back to 1888, when it was initiated at the New Mexico College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts, the precursor to NMSU, under the guidance of Fabián García, the first director of the Agriculture Experiment Station. Dr. García embarked on a journey of breeding and selection that eventually led to the development of New Mexico pod-type chile, which is now globally recognized as New Mexico type (NM) or Hatch chile. Over the course of its existence, the NMSU chile breeding program has introduced more than 50 distinct chile varieties.   

New Mexico is the largest chile producer in the US; however, since peak production in the early 1990s, there has been a reduction in acreage. The decline was the result of various factors including labor shortages, increased international competition, and heightened disease pressure. Increasingly, heat stress and irrigation availability are adversely impacting the crop. To protect and sustain NM chile production, it is imperative to implement a multifaceted approach to address various challenges encountered by producers throughout the production and post-harvest processes. More than a decade ago, research scientists at NMSU initiated efforts to develop mechanized harvesting solutions, aiming to alleviate the challenges posed by labor shortages. Now, those very research scientists are joining the agrivoltaics research movement. Their goal is to address additional challenges faced by NM chile producers. They are exploring co-location of PV panels within agricultural fields as a potential strategy to address certain challenges. Thanks to a grant from the New Mexico Department of Agriculture awarded to Drs. Thompson, Walker, and Lavrova, research has begun in evaluating how solar panel shading affects the movement of beet leafhoppers. These leafhoppers are vectors for the Beet Curly Top Virus (BCTV), a significant disease impacting the state’s signature chile pepper crops.  

Infection with BCTV results in various symptoms including stunted growth, curling and twisting of leaves, and the production of small unmarketable fruit. The specific symptoms may vary based on the plant’s growth stage when it becomes infected. Previous research has shown that beet leafhoppers tend to avoid shaded areas and exhibit peak activity between 10 am and 2 pm. The concept was to leverage the shade provided by solar panels as a means of deterring beet leafhoppers with the goal of reducing the incidence rate of the BCTV while not adversely impacting yields of chile peppers grown under the PV panels. This research was conducted at NMSU’s Leyendecker Plant Science Research Center, located near Las Cruces, NM. Before the first season, four fixed PV panels were installed, adhering to low-impact installation guidelines to minimize land disturbance. The panels were facing east. Although this is not the most efficient orientation for energy generation, it was ideal to shade the chile between 10 am to 2 pm. Then ‘NuMex Odyssey,’ a green chile variety developed for mechanical harvest, was transplanted into the field in the beginning of May and harvested in mid-August 2023. After completing the initial field season, many valuable insights were gained that will be useful for interested NM stakeholders. Preliminary results indicate potential yield and BCTV prevention benefits to chile plants cultivated under the shade of PV panels, but a second year of data is necessary to draw more specific conclusions. 

Romaine lettuce harvested from partially shaded area under photovoltaic panels

Danise Coon, Mariela Estrada, Isaac Medrano, and Jannatul Afroze (left to right), measuring harvested lettuce. 

Traditionally, chile is cultivated within a crop rotation strategy to mitigate soil-borne diseases. To mimic this rotation cycle, romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa) was planted immediately after the chile crop in the beginning of September and harvested by the end of October 2023. During this transition, the orientation of the solar panels was modified from an east-facing direction to a south-facing one. The shift in panel orientation served two primary purposes: 1) During the chile growing season, shading between 10 am and 2 pm was essential to deter beetleaf hoppers. As the crop changed to romaine lettuce, this shade was no longer necessary and 2) With the advent of cooler mornings in September and October, increasing the morning sunlight became imperative to warm the plants effectively. This transition prompted a crucial consideration in the fundamental objective of each agrivoltaics site. Should it aim to maximize energy generation or crop production?  

Our present objectives include conducting a repeat of both these studies next year and sharing research outcomes with the public. Alongside our ongoing research, we are actively pursuing funding to broaden our investigations. This expansion will encompass flavor and nutrient analysis of the crops, various vegetable types and varieties, optimal irrigation designs, as well as further explorations into pest and diseases with agrivoltaic systems in New Mexico.  

Photos courtesy of Israel Joukhadar.