Agrivoltaics is the use of solar panels in agriculture to produce both food and electricity. Around the world, the practice has several names: agrisolar, agrophotovoltaics, solar sharing, and PV agriculture.
Many experts believe agrivoltaics can minimize barriers to food security and the transition to clean energy. While the practice is still in its infancy, it is expected to grow as solar continues to boom throughout the next few decades.
How Agrivoltaics Works
Agrivoltaics involves mounting ground-mounted solar panels at a greater height than in usual solar arrays, leaving the soil underneath for agricultural production.
In the United States, 90% of projected solar growth by 2050 will happen in rural areas, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Using rural land wisely through practices like agrivoltaics is key to solar development. It can reduce its…