Agrivoltaics, saving farms

[Old Rocks]

Have to agree....farm voltaics are for idiots.
Farms use electricity....but need more mechanical energy than Electricity which after transmission can transform back into mechanical energy.

Windmills are great as they are mechanical energy that are customarily used to pump water....more mechanical energy used....no transformation.

Aerable Farmland is a valuable resource. We do NOT need to destroy it by covering it with solar panels.

Fertile Soil is not static....it has life cycles with bacteria, enzymes, biological compounds and decomposition in various stages of life cycles.

And
Where pesticides, glycol, fertilizers and certain crops can destroy soils over time. However, careful husbandry and restorative practices can bring it back to fertility and profitability again.

Solar panels will destroy soils due to the blocking of the sun. Nobody has to mow the weeds under solar panels..

The USA once had enough Fertile Soil to feed the planet....the technology, processing plants, and the equipment to pull it off too. However we have built subdivisions in the suburbs...where the farms are.

But that doesn't mean that we have extra to spare.

Great post, except that everything that you said is false.

 

[Old Rocks]

I think you pretty much need to forfeit "farmer" as your occupation if you fill your fields with solar panels instead of crops or livestock.

Another dumb **** that cannot read. You fill your fields with solar, grow crops underneath, make $50,000 per acre from energy, and still grow your crops, often with an improved yield.

 

[Old Rocks]

Well ... silicone dioxide and water for sure ... phosphorous is a vital nutrient ... [giggle] ...

Your should see what's put in the concrete footings ...

And then there are all the lovely heavy metals that land in the crop fields downwind from coal fired plants.

 

[Old Rocks]

If we took a average common solar panel installed in the last 15 years, smashed it up in a big bucket of water, the contents would likely include the following:

Organized alphabetically:

- Aluminum (Al)

- Aluminum-doped Zinc Oxide (AZO)

- Boron (B)

- Cadmium Sulfide (CdS)

- Cadmium Telluride (CdTe)

- Copper (Cu)

- Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)

- Gallium (Ga)

- Glass

- Hydrogen (H)

- Indium (In)

- Indium Tin Oxide (ITO)

- Lead (Pb)

- Molybdenum (Mo)

- Phosphorus (P)

- Plastic and Polymers

- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

- Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB)

- Selenium (Se)

- Silicon (Si)

- Silicon dioxide (SiO2)

- Silver (Ag)

- Sodium (Na)

- Tedlar (PVF)

- Water (H20)

- Zinc Oxide (ZnO)

Which of these chemicals and constituents are you fine with over your commercial food supply?

~S~

But you are fine with these in your food supply;

Heavy​

The burning of coal releases a variety of heavy metals into the atmosphere, which can have significant environmental and health impacts. These metals include mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, tin, and antimony. These heavy metals are environmentally and biologically toxic and can contaminate water sources and the food we eat. Efforts have been made to reduce mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants, such as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards implemented by the EPA in 2012, which lowered mercury emissions.

shunwaste.com

 

[Old Rocks]

There are some types of plants that do well in indirect sunlight....some types of solar panels are translucent....letting some light through.
Moisture preservation is also Big ....

Having said all of that ..... Solar is nothing more than pie in the sky as far as long term base power load is concerned.....it may have some marginal benefits for small to mid sized farms however.

I would like to see the ROI numbers.

Jo

ROI numbers;

Abstract​

In co-locating agriculture and solar photovoltaics (PV) on the same land parcel, agrivoltaic systems (AVS) afford opportunities to meet growing global food and energy demand while contributing to renewable energy targets. Previous review studies have not concurrently examined how AVS impacts agri-food production and PV electricity generation, profitability, and environmental co-benefits and trade-offs. We systematically review the literature to assess the impact of AVS design, layout and position in the landscape on agri-food production and energy generation, profitability and environmental stewardship. The impact of site-specific factors such as climate, design constraints, policies and the emissions intensity of the local electricity system were also included in the assessment. In addition to renewable energy, we find that AVS provide co-benefits such as enhanced crop/pasture water-use efficiencies (up to 150–300 % improvement), greater land-use efficiency (up to 200 %), reduced irrigation demand (14 % reduction), improved profitability (up to 15 times higher revenue) and more consistent interannual crop/pasture production compared with conventional agricultural production systems in isolation.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352550925000569

Full article at link.

 

[JohnDB]

But you are fine with these in your food supply;

Heavy​

The burning of coal releases a variety of heavy metals into the atmosphere, which can have significant environmental and health impacts. These metals include mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, tin, and antimony. These heavy metals are environmentally and biologically toxic and can contaminate water sources and the food we eat. Efforts have been made to reduce mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants, such as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards implemented by the EPA in 2012, which lowered mercury emissions.
shunwaste.com

Nope....
All coal fired power generating plants require scrubbers to clean emissions.

Scrubbers are expensive and some plants couldn't be retrofitted with them.

I'm fully aware of what coal fired power generating plants emit.and the damage to the environment they cause.

However, the process for purifying silicon for these photovoltaic chips is much more toxic and disastrous.

 

[ReinyDays]

Another fool that failed to read the article. The farmers that have the capital to invest in the solar panels over their agricultural endeavors are making about $50,000 an acre off the panels, often more than the produce brings in. Those that rent their space to the utilities make about $1100 an acre, as well as the income the produce brings in. And the farmers are doing it both ways as we post.

I never read article you post ... they're all full of lies ... like you ...

$50,000 an acre times 3,000 acres is $150,000,000 ... per year ... one farm ... magically sent to NYC ... and Exxon isn't interested? ...

 

[sparky]

But you are fine with these in your food supply;

I didn't say i was Old one......yet there's a dif betwixt pollution 4 miles out in the atmosphere vs. 4 feet above a 'food supply' .......which are you ok with?

~S~

 

[MarathonMike]

Apparently you did not read the article. They are growing food under those panels. Agrivoltaics is using the land both to grow food and generate electricity. Quite often, they produce more food under the panels than they would otherwise because of the effect of preserving soil moisture.

In some circumstances and geo-locations, solar energy makes sense. I have seen the benefits of agrivoltaics and agree that is one of the applications of solar that is a net positive.

 

[Old Rocks]

Nope....
All coal fired power generating plants require scrubbers to clean emissions.

Scrubbers are expensive and some plants couldn't be retrofitted with them.

I'm fully aware of what coal fired power generating plants emit.and the damage to the environment they cause.

However, the process for purifying silicon for these photovoltaic chips is much more toxic and disastrous.

Liar. While much of the power to produce those panels are produced by coal fired generators at present, just as most of the materials to produce the early cars were delivered by horse drawn wagons, as renewables become increasingly the major source of generation, that will change. And coal, it's burning for power, is still more toxic than silicon production for solar panels. And that is not even considering the toxic effects of coal mining.

The pollution from silicon purification for solar panels is significantly less than that from coal fire generation. The energy-intensive process of silicon purification requires high temperatures and consumes massive amounts of energy, often sourced from coal-fired power plants. This process releases approximately 5.5 tons of CO2 per ton of silicon produced, creating an environmental paradox where clean energy technology relies on highly polluting manufacturing processes. In contrast, solar panel production emerges as a significantly more sustainable choice for our planet’s future, with the potential to offset its production impact many times over.

climatecosmos.com
https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=96e1...bHMtbWlnaHQtbWVhbi1tb3JlLXBvbGx1dGlvbi8&ntb=1

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Another fool that failed to read the article. The farmers that have the capital to invest in the solar panels over their agricultural endeavors are making about $50,000 an acre off the panels, often more than the produce brings in. Those that rent their space to the utilities make about $1100 an acre, as well as the income the produce brings in. And the farmers are doing it both ways as we post.

are making about $50,000 an acre off the panels,

Get back to me after the federal government stops shoveling tax dollars at these utilities to build these stupid, uneconomical green projects.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

"Scientists measured photovoltaic deployments' effects on farmland over two decades. Results showed that farmers either construct their own systems or rent land to power companies. Each method proved lucrative.

System owners cover setup costs but receive massive returns via electricity income and lower utility expenses, while renters skip initial investments and collect regular lease payments.

System owners clear about $50,000 per acre after costs each year, which exceeds crop income. Land renters receive about $1,100 per acre with zero startup expenses. Water preservation is equally substantial."

MSN

Preserving water, income for farmers that is steady, and double use of land.

System owners clear about $50,000 per acre after costs each year

How much does an acre of solar panels cost?
How much power does it produce a year? How much is that power worth?

Let's check the math on your claim.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

"Scientists measured photovoltaic deployments' effects on farmland over two decades. Results showed that farmers either construct their own systems or rent land to power companies. Each method proved lucrative.

System owners cover setup costs but receive massive returns via electricity income and lower utility expenses, while renters skip initial investments and collect regular lease payments.

System owners clear about $50,000 per acre after costs each year, which exceeds crop income. Land renters receive about $1,100 per acre with zero startup expenses. Water preservation is equally substantial."

MSN

Preserving water, income for farmers that is steady, and double use of land.

System owners clear about $50,000 per acre after costs each year

How much does an acre of solar panels cost?
How much power does it produce a year? How much is that power worth?

Let's check the math on your claim.

 

[ReinyDays]

System owners clear about $50,000 per acre after costs each year

How much does an acre of solar panels cost?
How much power does it produce a year? How much is that power worth?

Let's check the math on your claim.

For reference ... good quality Iowa farmland is running $12,500 an acre ... he says $50k net income, after we deduct the cost of panels, taxes, cartage, etc etc etc ...

That amounts to roughly half a megawatt-hour per acre ... so a family farm is producing one and a half gigs ... [rolls eyes] ...

Math is hard ...

 

[toobfreak]

System owners clear about $50,000 per acre after costs each year, which exceeds crop income. Land renters receive about $1,100 per acre with zero startup expenses. Water preservation is equally substantial."

Tell me, OR, what do the chinese pay to continually bloviate about the enormous benefits of chinese-made solar power systems?

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

For reference ... good quality Iowa farmland is running $12,500 an acre ... he says $50k net income, after we deduct the cost of panels, taxes, cartage, etc etc etc ...

That amounts to roughly half a megawatt-hour per acre ... so a family farm is producing one and a half gigs ... [rolls eyes] ...

Math is hard ...

His accounting might be worse than his physics.

 

[Old Rocks]

are making about $50,000 an acre off the panels,

Get back to me after the federal government stops shoveling tax dollars at these utilities to build these stupid, uneconomical green projects.

Trump has gutted the solar tax credits, while leaving in place the subsidies for fossil fuels. Even so, solar and wind are still the least costly new generation, and can be installed in far less time than nuclear or gas.

Trump guts solar tax credits in 'OBBBA' and directs Treasury to issue more restrictive guidance

The Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress wanted to gut renewable energy incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act, and that mission was accomplished over the holiday weekend. Trump signed the... View Article

solarbuildermag.com

 

[Old Rocks]

His accounting might be worse than his physics.

Well, well.
The average wholesale price of electricity in the US varies by region and market. For example, prices in the Midwest and Louisiana reached as high as $161.00/MWh and $166.00/MWh, respectively, towards the end of July 2025. In the first half of 2025, average wholesale electricity prices rose year-on-year in various regions, including the US, amid higher gas prices. However, specific average prices for the entire year are not provided in the available data.
https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=2e99...L3VwZGF0ZS93aG9sZXNhbGUtbWFya2V0cy5waHA&ntb=1
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)+1

This output implies that a solar farm can produce between 250-300 kilowatt-hours (kWh) daily per acre. To estimate energy production, one can multiply the number of panels, their respective power output, and the daily sunlight hours.
https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=2e99...L3VwZGF0ZS93aG9sZXNhbGUtbWFya2V0cy5waHA&ntb=1
So, 250 kw x 365 = 91,250 kw per year, or 91 Mw. 91 Mw at $161 = $14,650. Yep, should have checked their math. Apparently looked at the total yield for farm products and electricity. However, for a 3000 acre farm, Rainy Days number, that would be about $44,000,000. Apparently these numbers add up to profitability because they are putting up solar farms in Texas as fast as they can build them. https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=2e99...L3VwZGF0ZS93aG9sZXNhbGUtbWFya2V0cy5waHA&ntb=1

 

[Old Rocks]

His accounting might be worse than his physics.

Another estimate, with a rather good EROI;

"Solar farms use photovoltaic (PV) technology to convert sunlight into electricity, generating power through multiple solar panels or arrays. The energy output of a solar farm depends on factors such as capacity, solar irradiance, and weather conditions. An acre of solar panels can produce around 250 KWs of solar power with ideal terrain and set-up. On average, an acre of PV solar panel arrays can produce around 5, 000 to 12, 000 kWH of electricity per year.

The amount of land required for a solar power operation is conservatively estimated to be 10 acres. The amount of electricity produced by an acre of solar panels depends on the type of panels used, geographical location, and installation efficiency. On average, an acre of solar panels can produce around 350-450 MWh of electricity per year. Assuming the solar panels receive an average of 5 peak sunlight hours per day, 1 acre of solar panels could potentially produce around 4, 225. 5 kWh of electricity per year.

A commercial solar farm can produce up to 5 MW on approximately 25 acres of land, enough to power 10, 000 homes. A conservative estimate for the footprint of solar development is that it takes 10 acres to produce one MW of electricity. A 1-acre solar farm with 4, 050 panels, each 250 watts, might produce 90, 000-110, 000 kilowatt-hours of power yearly. Solar produces 447 MWh/acre, and the net EROI for solar is about 90 or higher, resulting in a net energy production from solar of 400 MWh/acre or so."

How Much Power Can A Solar Farm Produce Per Acre

The amount of land required for a solar power operation is conservatively estimated to be 10 acres. The amount of electricity produced by an acre of solar panels depends on the type of panels used, geographical location, and installation efficiency.

greenbusinessbarbados.com

 

[Moonglow]

Means less land under cultivation, which means less food production. Which would be great if the population numbers were falling or remaining stable. Unfortunately population is still increasing. So hey we can at least starve knowing we are producing power that is slightly less environmentally damaging

We export food because we have an oversupply of food.