Agriculture Under Solar Panel

Combining solar panel photovoltaic infrastructure and agriculture creates a mutually beneficial relationship.

Agriculture under solar panel.

Under panel native plants benefit not just their immediate solar farm surroundings but nearby cropland. The solar energy industry has seen rapid growth in the last several years. In order to qualify for the state subsidies the solar panels in such projects have to be built at least eight feet off the ground allowing easy access for farmers and their equipment. Solar panels for farm use can offset a significant portion of overall operating costs and create greater business predictability.

Photo by dennis schroeder nrel. That s enough to power up to 2 000 homes. Farming crops under solar panels a process called agrivoltaics can boost food production water savings and the efficiency of electricity production researchers report. Lee walston an ecologist at argonne national laboratory says pollinating insects roam beyond solar installations to other agricultural fields where they help increase production.

With the agriculture sector s incentives and access to cheap solar financing solar is a solid business decision with a rapid payback. Under panel native plants benefit not just their immediate solar farm surroundings but nearby cropland. Lee walston an ecologist at argonne national laboratory says pollinating insects roam. The solar panels in this case were built to stand a little over 3 meters off the ground higher than a typical solar array.

All three plots were irrigated the same and temperatures humidity and. In the united states total capacity of utility scale solar installations was projected to increase by 123 12 gigawatt gw between year end 2014 and year end 2016 eia 2016 hartmann et al. Medium size projects known as community solar require panels over about 15 acres and typically produce about 2 megawatts of power. Solar energy for agricultural customers over 100 agriculture projects.

A growing number of farms and agricultural businesses are looking to solar to power their daily operations.