Solar Panels Help Boost Grassland Productivity in Dry Years

Research published by Colorado State University and Cornell University shows that solar panels helped increase the productivity of the grassland beneath them during dry years. A four-year study on co-located solar panels and grassland in semi-arid Colorado indicated that the presence of solar panels could reduce water stress and improve soil moisture levels, increasing grass growth by 20% or more compared to an open field in a dry year. The panels both provided shade and collected extra moisture that boosted the production of adjacent grass. The researchers point out that these results were from an installation designed with energy production as a priority, and that the grass productivity effect could be even stronger if agrivoltaic installations were designed with the intent of maximizing benefits to grassland.
Related NCAT publication: Best Practices in Agrisolar