Should farm fields be used for crops or solar? Research suggests both

Should farm fields be used for crops or solar? Or both

As farmers debate whether fields should be used for agriculture or solar panels, new research says the answer could be both. Scientists analyzed remote sensing and aerial imagery to study how fields have been used in California for the last 25 years. Using databases to estimate revenues and costs, they found that farmers who used a small percentage of their land for solar arrays were more financially secure per acre than those who didn't.

Impacts of agrisolar co-location on the food–energy–water nexus and economic security

Understanding how solar PV installations affect the landscape and its critical resources is crucial to achieve sustainable net-zero energy production. To enhance this understanding, we investigate the consequences of converting agricultural fields to solar photovoltaic installations, which we refer to as ‘agrisolar’ co-location. We present a food, energy, water and economic impact analysis of agricultural output offset by agrisolar co-location f…

Should farm fields be used for crops or solar? Research suggests both

As farmers debate whether fields should be used for agriculture or solar panels, new research from Michigan State University says the answer could be both.

An Italian research institute has discovered that crops grow faster when grown under a new type of semi-transparent solar cell known as the "perovskite type." Only light of the wavelengths used for photosynthesis penetrates the cell and reaches the plants. It also has the effect of protecting the leaves and stems of crops by diluting light that is too strong and preventing the ground from overheating. With a dwindling number of sites suitable fo…

Study: farmers don’t always have to choose between crops and solar panels

Results of a new study from Michigan State University suggest farmers no longer have to choose between growing crops and harnessing solar power. It finds they can do both on the same land. The 25-year study of California farmland found farmers who added solar panels made more money per acre than those who didn’t. The research shows crops and solar work together, especially when panels are placed on low-yield acres, or spots that don’t grow as mu…

Environmental News Network - Should Farm Fields be Used for Crops or Solar? MSU Research Suggests Both

As farmers debate whether fields should be used for agriculture or solar panels, new research from Michigan State University says the answer could be both.