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John Czajkowski Farm in Hadley, Massachusetts, has been growing crops beneath a solar panel array for several years using an agrivoltaic production system.
The installation consists of 832 solar panels spaced 26 feet apart across 0.89 hectares of farmland. The spacing is intended to allow crop production to continue while generating solar energy.
Crops grown beneath the panels include sweet corn, broccoli, lettuce, and cilantro, with asparagus also planned. According to farmer Joe Czajkowski, sweet corn yields beneath the panels are around 80% of those achieved in the open field, while crop quality is comparable.
“It’s worked really well for us. You shouldn’t have to work too hard to convince people it’s a good thing,” Czajkowski said.
The solar installation is also reducing the farm’s electricity bills and is used to charge an electric van that transports produce to the University of Massachusetts. The project also generates property tax revenue for the town.
Other farms in the area are considering agrivoltaic systems as a way to combine agricultural production with electricity generation on the same land.
Massachusetts State Rep. Homar Gómez, whose district includes Hadley, supports expanding opportunities for farms to develop solar projects.
Unlike conventional solar farms where agricultural production is replaced by electricity generation, agrivoltaic systems maintain the land in agricultural use. Solar panels can also alter shading and airflow within the crop, potentially affecting soil moisture and temperature, particularly under hot and dry growing conditions.
Frontpage photo: © Chuyu | Dreamstime
Source: thecooldown.com
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