What Is Agrivoltaics?

For those farmers who don’t want to wait several decades to use the land, there is sometimes the option of agrivoltaics. This term describes the intertwining of agricultural activities with solar panels. Some energy companies and farmers have been experimenting with using farmland to both harness solar power and continue some level of farming. Beehives around the solar panels are one way of incorporating agrivoltaics. Depending on the height of the solar panels, livestock can still exist and graze between the structures, too. Small animals, like poultry, can easily roam among the panels and benefit from an area that provides both sun between the panels and shade underneath them. Some solar farms offer solar panels that are set a bit higher — about 7 feet — allowing other forms of livestock to co-exist. Sheep are probably the most common, as they can easily graze under and between the solar panels, but even cows and horses can be in the mix depending on the size of the solar farm and height of the panels. Grazing under the solar panels can actually shade cows from the sun, and cooler, more comfortable cows are known to be healthier and produce more milk. There is even current experimentation with growing crops in and around solar panels. Researchers are moving quickly to test the potential of agrivoltaics, which may add yet another benefit to solar farms.

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