NREL research helps farmers, local communities, and global partners navigate the complexities of bringing agrivoltaic solar power to remote areas.
With their reflective, smooth glass sheen, stiff metal posts, and electric wiring, you might be surprised to learn that solar fields can be sites of thriving biodiversity, regenerative agriculture, and community bonding.
Three years ago, when representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) first started talking with Josie Hart—a farmer and the associate director of Farm Programs for the Denver Botanic Gardens—she could not have imagined what was possible as a farmer on a solar site.
“I tried to picture a solar field, and I just saw miles of solar panels low to the ground. I didn’t have the best opinion of solar on farm country. For me, as a farmer, it made me so sad to see good productive land go to solar panels,” Hart said. “But I learned a lot from NREL researchers about how solar installations can be used to enhance farming and that it’s not just about the solar panels—it’s about the mutual benefits of colocating solar with farming.”
Agrivoltaics is the practice of bringing together agricultural activities and photovoltaics (PV)—using the same land to harvest solar energy and reap agricultural benefits, like grazing, crop production, increased pollinator habitat, and soil health.
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