A new approach to farming is gaining traction in Canada, offering producers the chance to generate both food and renewable energy on the same land, reported The Albertan.
The practice, called agrivoltaics, combines agriculture with solar panels, creating new revenue streams for farmers while conserving resources.
A recent caucus hosted by Olds College in Alberta brought together about 60 participants. The group included academics, farmers, and industry representatives, and they discussed how solar energy and agriculture can thrive together.
"We talked about things like regulations," said Ike Edeogu, applied research manager at Olds College, to The Albertan. "What are the regulations to allow for energy production, small scale? Much larger scale, you need environmental assessments or kind of feasibility studies done, some of which can be fairly expensive."
By mixing energy and farming, agrivoltaics gives small producers a way to diversify their income. Leasing land to solar operators can provide stability, while continuing to grow food helps maintain farming traditions and food security.
The approach also conserves water, supports soil health, and reduces reliance on fossil fuels — all of which help communities breathe cleaner air and enjoy healthier environments.
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Increased solar production can reduce our reliance on dirty energy, which is contributing to the heat-trapping pollution that has exacerbated extreme weather events.
Edeogu said farmers do not need to give up land entirely to solar operators. Crops and livestock can still grow between the panels and coexist.
Examples shared at the event highlighted how operations in both Alberta and the U.S. became more profitable with agrivoltaics. Beyond sheep grazing between panels, discussions also covered beekeeping and biodiversity-friendly farming models.
"We presented about five plus or six research models that they could adopt, from crops to livestock to the ones that help with biodiversity," said Semeton Amosu, a research associate in agrivoltaics and soil health, to The Albertan.
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No way 🙅 Olds College is already partnering with solar operators to test models and collect data.
"What I took from it is, there is a lot of interest (in the potential of agrivoltaics)," Edeogu told The Albertan.
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