Agrivoltaics Benefit Farmers and Rural Communities

A feature story from WBUR describes some of the benefits of co-locating agriculture and solar energy generation and offers examples of successful agrivoltaic installations. Some of these examples involve solar grazing arrangements in which sheep manage vegetation beneath solar panels. Other examples involve planting many different kinds of crops in the shade of solar panels. Advocates explain how agrivoltaics can be the key to keeping farms economically viable by bringing in revenue from both land leases and agricultural production and supporting diversification that helps farms be more resilient. In addition, agrivoltaics can help support rural communities because of the comparatively high tax valuation on the properties.