Growing Your Own Energy: How Agrivoltaics can Help Farmers Improve their Profit Margins
By: Joe McCarty, Intern at The Collider
The move to renewable energy is already happening and, as financial and political pressures on gasoline and oil rise, renewable energy will be the key to our continued productivity. One group, in particular, is most affected by rising gas and oil prices: the landowners, farm owners, and agricultural workers. Increased oil prices mean increased transportation of food costs and increased costs of running food warehouses and retail food stores. All of these compounded factors increase the price of food without any of that increased income reaching the farmer. With much of agriculture running on fossil fuels, particularly diesel fuel, the financial burden will continue to grow for farmers. According to SolarPower Europe, if just 1% of existing cultivated agricultural lands installed agrivoltaic microgrids, the power generated could power the world’s total energy demands. This would ultimately make a powerful impact on the fight against climate change. Much of the world is embracing agrivoltaics, and it is time for the farmers and landowners of the United States to do the same.
What is “Agrivoltaics?”
Agrivoltaics generate solar electricity on agricultural lands, which allows the use of solar energy to supply power for agricultural practices without the excessive use of fossil fuels. By using solar panels, farmers and landowners can essentially “grow” their own power, cutting energy costs through energy providers. Agrivoltaic panels can be utilized in crop fields or livestock areas by using elevated panels. These sun-capturing panels are attached to tall arrays, ranging from four to ten feet off the ground. The land beneath the panels can continue to be utilized, enabling ongoing cultivation of crops and livestock grazing.
What are the benefits of Agrivoltaics?
As fuel prices continue to skyrocket in the wake of a European land war and the US cutting ties with Russia’s oil industry, renewable energy is needed now more than ever. Farm machinery and crop irrigation use massive amounts of diesel fuel and electricity. With high fuel prices, farmers are spending much more on energy costs to continue production. Electricity provided through “growing” one’s own energy can help power farming vehicles, farmhouses, barns, and even irrigation pumps. Not only is Agrivoltaics a good resource for saving on energy costs, Agrivoltaics also saves on water usage and is a more secure way to access energy.
Pumping water for irrigation on farmlands is a significant energy cost. With The United States’ agricultural systems being almost entirely dependent on irrigation, the amount of droughts and dry irrigation reservoirs is increasing. According to the Department of Energy, 76% of water irrigation uses “high amounts’’ of electricity and fossil fuels. Vertical agricultural solar systems can help reduce water consumption for crops and livestock. In a study conducted by the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, it was found that the shade from Agrivoltaic panels allows for cooler daytime temperatures and warmer nighttime temperatures in the soil beneath. As a result, the plants beneath better retain water because they are not subjected to direct sunlight, leading to a more productive harvest. This also allows for the easing of our dependence on irrigation for agriculture.
Cyberattacks are on the rise, and with our current outdated technology in power plants, power grids, and pipelines, power systems are especially vulnerable. Often targeted because everyone depends on power utilities, the economic damage can be enormous. For example, in April 2021, the Colonial Pipeline Company, a massive oil and jet fuel pipeline carrying fuel across the Southeast, was cyber-attacked, shutting down the fuel market in the Southeast for over a month. Again, because so many people depend on fossil fuel energy, the economic impact was drastic. Fortunately, Agrivoltaic systems are much less vulnerable to cyber attacks, making solar panels consistent and dependable for energy production.
Small Scale Agrivoltaics is Cost-Effective
Agrivoltaic systems often come at a sizable installation cost, often due to lengthy approval processes or design constraints. Though the costs for large-scale agrivoltaics systems is hefty, a study conducted by the National Renewable Energy Lab found that small-scale agrivoltaic systems are economically viable in certain configurations and can potentially provide co-benefits including rural electrification, retrofitting diesel electricity generation, and providing electricity for local processing of agricultural products.” Over time, landowners and farm owners will see a major reduction in energy costs. Often energy corporations will allow customers to offset their energy bill by selling any excess solar energy that customers produce. In the long-run, Agrivoltaics will save landowners and farm owners money in their energy bills, rewarding those that choose to grow their own energy.
Why not just stick to solar farms?
Solar farms are vast expanses of land that have been completely cleared to harvest solar energy through solar panels. Giant energy corporations or rapidly growing solar farming companies often operate solar farms. Unfortunately, individual landowners and farm owners often gain little to nothing from these projects. Agrivoltaics, on the other hand, can help support individual farmers indirectly cutting their energy costs through farming their own solar energy.
Agrivoltaic successes around the world and at home
Japan was the first country to develop and test large-scale agrivoltaic systems on croplands. In recent years, Japan has seen a decline in farming production due to many farmers moving closer to the cities. Agrivoltaic systems are bringing people back to the farming sector, providing people the opportunity to supplement their income and contribute to Japan’s energy needs. In Japan, the usage of agrivoltaics is known as “solar sharing,” where the energy created through agrivoltaics is shared between communities and across the nation.
Jack’s Solar Garden in Longmont, Colorado, only a few miles outside of Boulder, is the largest agrivoltaics research site for vegetable farming in the United States. With over 3,200 solar panels, Jack’s has the energy capabilities to power their farm and over three hundred homes. In addition, by leading educational tours and promoting local artists, Jack’s Solar Garden has become an inspiration for farmers that want to give back to their community. Working with the Boulder County Housing Authority, Jack’s has pledged to donate 2% of their generated power to ten low-income households, completely covering their energy bills for the next twenty years.
