Agricultural tractor solar panels

Are solar panels a good fit for your farm?

Solar panels can increase your operation’s profitability. One government grant program for solar panels on farms is called the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Why solar energy may be a good fit for your farmers and ranchers Tips and funding opportunities for solar projects on your farm

How can farmers benefit from solar energy?

Farmers can benefit from solar energy in several ways—by leasing farmland for solar; installing a solar system on a house, barn, or other building; or through agrivoltaics. Agrivoltaics is defined as agriculture, such as crop production, livestock grazing, and pollinator habitat, located underneath solar panels and/or between rows of solar panels.

Will agricultural land be used for solar energy?

Agricultural land in the U.S. has the technical potential to provide 27 terawatts of solar energy capacity. This is a quarter of the total U.S. solar energy capacity of 115 TW. Only 0.3% of farmland is expected to be used for solar energy by 2035. Will using land for solar panels drive up the price of food?

Are solar panels good for agrivoltaics?

Sheep take cover under the shade of solar panels at an agrivoltaics power generation farm Lianyungang City, China. The benefits aren't just one-sided in this symbiotic relationship. Solar panels directly benefit from their relationship with the plants, too. This is where some real agrivoltaic magic (science) happens.

Do agrivoltaic sheep graze in solar panels?

Meanwhile, researchers at Oregon State University have determined that sheep reared in agrivoltaic settings prefer to graze in the shade of solar panels. The study also found that, despite finding less forage in solar pastures, lamb production did not differ from lambs grazed in open fields.

Can farmland be used for solar energy?

There is significant opportunity to produce large amounts of solar energy on farmland. Agricultural land in the U.S. has the technical potential to provide 27 terawatts of solar energy capacity. This is a quarter of the total U.S. solar energy capacity of 115 TW. Only 0.3% of farmland is expected to be used for solar energy by 2035.