A symbiotic relationship between farmers and electrical utilities | Gardener State


Dennis McNamara
Sun, January 29, 2023 

Currently, renewable energy accounts for only 12% of total U.S. energy consumption. Meeting the stated goal of the 2019 Energy Master Plan of “a net-zero emissions economy by 2050” will require much more renewables ― like solar or wind.

According to the USDA “Solar Futures Study,” a lot of land will be needed to meet the net-zero emissions goal. Agriculture in the lower 48 states occupies about 43% of surface area. This amount of land offers the potential of a symbiotic relationship between the farmer and the generation of energy through solar photovoltaics.

However, there is a dual-use opportunity called Agrivoltaics, a system that looks at agriculture and solar energy production as complements to the other instead of competitors. If a farmer has an unused parcel of land the solar array of panels can be low to the ground. For the farmer with no empty parcels of land, there may be the option of dual-use solar, a technology involving adjusting the height of solar panels to as much as 14 feet, as well as adjusting the spacing between them to accommodate equipment, workers, crops and grazing animals.

The spacing and the angle of the panels allows light to reach plants below and have the added benefit of shielding those crops from extreme heat. By allowing working lands to stay working, agrivoltaic systems could help farms diversify income. Other benefits include energy resilience and a reduced carbon footprint.

There is a lot of agrivoltaic research underway to answer the many questions agrivoltaic systems pose like: What are the long-term impacts of solar energy infrastructure on soil quality? What crops in what regions are best suited for photovoltaic systems? How can both crop and energy systems be optimized? How will livestock (and wildlife) interact with solar energy equipment? What types of business agreements will work best between a solar developer and agricultural producer or landowner?

Researchers from University of Maine Cooperative Extension are evaluating the impact of panel installation on blueberry plants.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are studying the effects of co-locating solar energy panels and agriculture operations at up to eight different farms across the state.

At Cornell University the researchers are looking at the benefits of pollinator-friendly plantings on solar farms. One goal is to see if wildflower plantings on solar sites can increase pollinator populations. Another is to see if wildflower plantings on solar farms encourage pollinators to visit crop flowers.

At Rutgers University, thanks to the New Jersey Legislatures’ passing in June 2021 of the “Dual-use Solar Act,” an energy pilot program is underway to study a limited number of farmers with agrivoltaic systems on their property to test, observe and refine the technology. Also, the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station received funding in the 2022 State Budget specifically for building Research and Demonstration Agrivoltaic Systems on their Research Farms. These systems will allow for detailed experimentation and engineering that would not be possible in a commercial setting, ensuring that both goals of dual use can be consistently met in NJ through research and demonstration trials.

Agrivoltaic technology advances a clean energy imperative while helping to maintain a working farm. The technology here is in its infancy but has been underway for at least a decade now in many other parts of the world including Europe, Japan, and China.

Here in the U.S. federal regulators as well as academics and developers are working to remedy that disparity. Early studies of crops underneath the panels have shown an increase in yields and reduction in irrigation requirements due to the provided shade.

But ultimately, when it comes to crops becoming a part of consumers food regimen, everything depends on how the crops taste. If flavor or even appearance strays too far from that of traditional produce, the technology will be a hard sell.

Dennis McNamara is an agriculture program associate at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Monmouth County.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: A symbiotic relationship between farmers and electrical utilities