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Greg Barron-Gafford
Chris Richards/University Communications
This profile is part of a series highlighting University of Arizona researchers featured in Sandstorm, a themed football game celebrating the ways the Sonoran Desert shapes our university and gives us a competitive advantage. From ecological restoration to groundbreaking research, these experts are using the unique conditions of the university’s environment to tackle challenges and create solutions with impact far beyond Arizona.
Greg Barron-Gafford used to see solar farms on the side of the highway and often asked himself the same question: Why can’t we grow plants there, too?
A professor in the School of Geography, Development and Environment within the College of Social and Behavioral Science, Barron-Gafford has developed solutions to that question for more than a decade. As a biogeographer, he studies how human and environmental changes impact where and how plants grow – and his work thrives at the University of Arizona.
In addition to teaching Wildcats about the environment in the classroom, Barron-Gafford leads the Semi-Arid Lab for Scaling Agrivoltaics, known as SALSA, a research group dedicated to advancing agrivoltaics research and scaling the agricultural practice for both large- and small-scale farming operations. 
But what is agrivoltaics, anyway? It refers to the simultaneous use of land for both growing crops and collecting solar energy. By growing plants in the shade provided by solar panels, agriculture can flourish in previously underdeveloped spaces. At the same time, solar installations benefit from the cooling effect of plant life. 
The concept was first theorized in Germany in the early 1980s. Barron-Gafford and his colleagues established the first agrivoltaics experiment in the United States at Biosphere 2 in 2017. Since then, he’s become one of the world’s foremost experts in practice, and his work supports international efforts like Agrivoltaicos sin Fronteras, a community stretching from Canada to Chile (with members in Spain and Japan) dedicated to advancing the field.
“Considering the environmental changes we’re experiencing, I think it’s more important than ever to talk about the future of food, water and energy,” Barron-Gafford said. “Our farms are already struggling, and most farmers have to make hard decisions because the water simply isn’t there. That means part of that transition involves solar, and we see a future where it’s not an either-or scenario. It’s yes-and.”
Outside of agrivoltaics, Barron-Gafford is the associate director of the U of A’s School Garden Workshop. The program connects college students with K-12 classrooms throughout Tucson to connect local youth with the region’s long agricultural history by developing and maintaining gardens on school campuses. 
“Not only are we providing a break from the classroom to enjoy some time in the sun, but what’s better than a natural science class that takes place outside?” Barron-Gafford said. “Instead of showing a student a textbook, I can take them outside and explain why some plants have really small leaves, or why cactus leaves turned into spines.”
Whether he’s teaching in the classroom, conducting research in the field or helping a local middle school build a garden, Barron-Gafford said he looks forward to a future in which people not only understand the environment but how their actions impact our collective future.
“I want our students to understand the challenges that are coming, both in terms of climate and apathy, and I feel like agrivoltaics is a solutions-oriented science that creates real outcomes that people can see,” Barron-Gafford said. “What started out with just a few of us and an idea has turned into a global practice.”
Learn more at arizona.edu/sandstorm.
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