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North Central Oregon | I have been looking into Agrivoltaics for about a year now. I have been able to visit with Chad Higgins from Oregon State who is one of the top experts in the study of the implementation of Agrivoltaics. He has designed a tracking panel racking system that is available to solar companies that allows for maximum clearance to allow farming in and around solar panels. Here in our low rainfall area (10”-11”) annually. We use a summer fallow / wheat rotation. Higgins in his study just south of my location in a low rainfall area, also in the rain shadow of the cascade mountains, found that the solar panels through a combination of shading, lowering evaporation as well as the panels lowering the ground level wind speed, saved approximately 5 inches of moisture within the solar project. He had further studies to complete but he was thinking that would make annual cropping a possibility, as well as making it possible to raise alternative crops. In our area most every solar project has sheep grazing the grounds. His studies found sheep thrived in solar fields, they had studies and found the sheep preferred grazing among the panels rather than in open areas. They attributed it to factors such as shade, being able to get out of bad weather, protection from predators/Eagles, lusher plant growth in solar fields. Sheep are the best option for grazing as cattle tend to rub too much and could cause damage and goats are too destructive. There are developers that are working to develop cattle-proof racking systems. I imagine they are also looking for solar friendly cattle breeds.
Look up Agrivoltaics on youtube, lots of videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=agrivoltaic+farming
Link to the Oregon State Agrivoltaics page: https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/newsroom/sustainable-farm-agrivoltaic#... | |
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Growing between solar panels..
