As American farmers toil under challenging conditions, an energy company is offering a means to add a badly needed revenue stream with solar energy.
As an article in Triple Pundit reports, Farmers Powering Communities seeks to connect farmers with community solar opportunities. The concept is quite simple; farmers lease part of their land for solar arrays and pocket a steady stream of revenue. Agricultural land is a particularly good candidate for hosting community solar projects, as panels placed over certain crops have beneficial effects.
The opportunity presents a true win-win scenario for ratepayers and farmers. The CEO of one of the partner firms involved in the venture explained: "We know many farmers have maintained their land for generations. As owners of our energy projects, we understand long-term stewardship and the importance of maintaining the agricultural viability of the land."
Agrivoltaics is the concept of dual land use with farmland and solar arrays. Solar panels can provide shade for plants and livestock while retaining moisture in the soil, thereby supporting the growth of both. It also solves one of the pressing issues of installing more solar power by utilizing existing land instead of clearing space for new solar arrays. The U.S. Department of Energy noted that increasing solar capacity by a terawatt will require nearly six million acres of land.
Other good examples of dual land use include installing solar panels over car parks and canals. France has mandated that all outdoor parking areas of 1,500 square meters or larger must install solar canopies. A similar ruling for the United States would have dramatic results. The total area in the United States dedicated to parking is equivalent to the combined landmass of Connecticut and Vermont, according to Business Insider. There's also the possibility of covering canals with solar arrays, as India is doing, which has the added benefit of regulating the water's temperature and slowing evaporation.
Some agrivolaic projects are already underway in the United States, and the results are promising. They demonstrate that increasing revenue and making agriculture more sustainable can be mutually exclusive goals. Individual ways to mitigate the harmful impact of industrial agriculture include growing your own food and eating less meat.
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