Colorado farms adopt agrivoltaics combining crops with solar power
Colorado is shaking up farming by blending crops and solar panels, a method called agrivoltaics.
First developed in Japan and popularized in Europe, it's now taking off in Colorado's dry regions.
Projects like CSU's partnership with Sandbox Solar, Jack's Solar Garden, working with universities, and IBM Boulder, which helps power 2,200 homes, are leading the charge.
Agrivoltaics reduces crop stress, boosts income
Here's why agrivoltaics is catching on: solar panels give crops much-needed shade, which means less heat stress and water loss.
Farmers can keep growing food while earning steady income from energy production or leasing land for solar panels.
Bonus: plants actually help cool the panels, making them work better!
In a pilot in India, ICAR-CAZRI in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, reported a Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) of 1.41.