As the practice of combining solar energy production with agricultural land, known as agrivoltaics, gains momentum, farmers face a significant decision: should they adopt this dual-use model? A recent study from researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, published in the Journal of Extension, introduces new tools to assist farmers in evaluating the financial and practical impacts of agrivoltaics.
Researchers at UMass Amherst, led by Jill Fitzsimmons, a research assistant professor of resource economics, have developed two spreadsheet-based tools. These tools aim to help farmers and agricultural professionals assess whether solar installations can be integrated into their operations profitably. Fitzsimmons explains that the tools were designed to allow farmers to consider the many factors that influence the success of agrivoltaics, making it easier for them to estimate potential benefits and challenges.
The tools, tailored for crops like lettuce and cranberries, provide a detailed analysis of the costs, revenues, and yields farmers can expect when adding solar panels to their fields. While the spreadsheets focus on specific crops, they can be adapted to a variety of other field and perennial crops, offering flexibility to farmers with diverse operations.
The first tool is a crop-specific logbook that allows farmers to analyze their day-to-day activities at the farm level. This helps in identifying how solar arrays might influence specific crop yields. The second tool takes a broader approach, offering whole-farm projections that weigh the trade-offs between maintaining traditional farming practices and incorporating solar arrays.
These tools are designed to work in tandem with InSpire, a project managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which provides farmers with estimates for potential energy production and revenue from solar installations. The growing interest in agrivoltaics aligns with the U.S. Department of Energy's goal of covering over 10 million acres with ground-mounted solar arrays by 2050. The Department believes that achieving this objective will require the strategic placement of solar installations on farmland.
Although the potential of agrivoltaics is promising, its long-term effects on crop yields and farm economics are not fully understood. Early trials suggest that certain crops may thrive under solar panels, while others show mixed results depending on weather conditions. More research is needed to determine which crops benefit most from co-located solar panels, especially over time.
Massachusetts, with its incentives for agrivoltaics, serves as a testing ground for these dual-use systems. Several projects have already been implemented, with more in the planning stages. Dwayne Breger, director of UMass Amherst’s Clean Energy Extension, emphasizes that agrivoltaics isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. The goal of their research is to equip farmers with science-based tools to make informed decisions about whether agrivoltaics are right for their operations.
In the end, these tools provide a critical first step for farmers to weigh the economic feasibility of agrivoltaics, enabling them to assess whether solar arrays could offer both energy and agricultural benefits.
