Advocates Say Agrivoltaics Could Increase Farm Profitability

A feature in Farm Progress explains that combining crop production with solar panels could help preserve family farms by diversifying income and improving profitability. Writer Ava Splear explains how the layout of solar panels in an agrivoltaic installation and the use of smaller equipment can facilitate farming. Research into vertical solar panels demonstrated that as much as 90% of the farmland can remain in crop production while the site generates energy and a steady income for the farm. Solar panels can even benefit the production of specialty crops by providing shade. “This is a way that we can stay on the farm. We can grow some interesting, risky crops to see if anything pans out. And even if it doesn’t, it’ll keep us financially solvent for another generation until we figure out the next thing that can keep us solvent,” says Illinois farmer Matt Riggs in the story.
Related NCAT publication: Best Practices in Agrisolar