Farmers in British Columbia are integrating the use of solar panels in agriculture sector to maximize renewable energy generation while also lowering electricity costs. But is this approach effective? Don’t solar panels block the sunlight that crops need to grow?
Research from around the world suggests that crop yields can increase when plants are grown under the partial shade of solar systems. This is because the panels help create a beneficial microclimate that retains soil moisture and protects crops from excessive heat, strong winds, hail, and soil erosion.
How Can the Use of Solar Panels in Agriculture Affect Food Production?
In a recent Nature study, researchers reported that the use of solar panels in agriculture yields two to three times higher than those grown using conventional farming methods. The multi-year experiment examined the growth of certain crops like chiltepin peppers, jalapeños, and cherry tomatoes under photovoltaic (PV) panels.
The team tracked a range of microclimatic factors, including:
- Light exposure
- Air temperature
- Humidity
- Panel surface temperature
- Soil moisture
- Irrigation water use
- Plant physiological responses
- Biomass production
Their results suggest that combining solar technology with agriculture can offer multiple benefits. This raises the potential for solar power generation and farming to work together in ways that benefit both people and the environment.
Improve Plant Cultivation
Reduced plant stress leads to improved growth and productivity in agricultural systems. Although it may seem surprising, excessive sunlight can place stress on plants. At the same time, the crop residues, like moisture released by plants, can also help cool the panels, supporting more efficient renewable energy production.
This shaded environment encourages a positive physiological response in crops. With moderated sunlight, plants adjust by optimizing their photosynthesis process. The plants extend their leaves and grow more vigorously compared to those in open-field conditions. This can lead to increased agricultural production and higher crop yields.
For example, in the study conducted above, results showed improved growth in basil and tomatoes, while Capsicum annuum (pepper) plants produced up to three times more fruit under solar cells.
Renewable Electricity Generation
When discussing solar PV, one of the most important considerations is the efficiency of solar energy production. Interestingly, using solar panels in agricultural settings has been shown to improve the performance of the panels themselves. This approach, referred to as dual-use solar, supports sustainable farming practices by allowing agricultural land to simultaneously produce food and renewable energy.
Plants naturally release moisture into the air through transpiration, a process similar to evaporation. This moisture helps prevent large-scale solar installations from overheating. Since PV systems become less efficient at higher temperatures, the cooling effect created by crops can actually enhance energy generation.
The result is a mutually beneficial system: farms can achieve strong crop yields while increasing solar energy production and lowering energy costs. At the same time, expanding the use of renewable energy can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Support Pollinator Health
Did you know that agricultural solar development can also provide other environmental benefits, such as creating ecosystem services for bees and butterflies? Beekeepers and land managers have discovered that native vegetation can thrive around and beneath solar panels, especially on land that once supported pollinator habitats.
By replacing turfgrass and gravel with native flowering plants, agrivoltaic systems can create prairie-like ecosystems that provide food and shelter for pollinating insects. These habitats have shown positive effects on bee populations and other important pollinators.
Today, pollinators face growing threats from habitat destruction, pesticide exposure, disease, poor nutrition, and declining genetic diversity. Honeybee colonies, in particular, have experienced significant declines in recent years. Because pollinators help in food production and ecosystem balance, protecting them is essential for agriculture and biodiversity.
Concerns About Installing Solar Panels For Land Productivity
Although agrivoltaic projects or rows of solar panels in the same land as crops have a promising impact, there are still growing concerns.
Jessica Nixon, an economic development director and framer from Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan, implied that solar development threatens farmland because the agricultural value of that land isn’t being adequately considered.
“Every year, billions of dollars are invested in agriculture to increase the production potential of farmland. Meanwhile, we see the rise of solar development on the Prairies, but no consideration is given to taking productive land out of its maximum growing potential,” Nixon said.
The core problem is that renewable energy developers ignore the agricultural value of farmland when planning projects. This is a significant oversight for a country pursuing sustainability, as it pits two national priorities against each other: agriculture and renewable energy. Without regulations requiring developers to account for farmland value, they’ll simply build wherever it’s cheapest.
In Alberta, similar concerns had already been raised by rural municipal leaders as well as by the federal Conservative Party’s agriculture critic, John Barlow, who represents the southern Alberta riding of Foothills. According to Sara Hastings-Simon, these concerns are not limited to Canada, as discussions about the impact of solar farms have also emerged in other countries.
She explains that the concerns are understandable because large-scale solar panels mounted on the ground can appear overwhelming when viewed in person. Their massive size can leave a strong visual impression, especially in rural and agricultural landscapes.
Is Solar Power Taking Up A Lot Of Prime Farmland?
Ian Urquhart, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alberta, found that most solar projects approved in Alberta between 2019 and 2023 are built on farmland rated “severe or worse” for crop production. This type of land already has major limits, such as poor soil quality, rocky ground, or steep slopes.
One example is the Creekside Solar Project in Leduc, approved this July, which will use 127 acres of Class 2 farmland. However, Urquhart noted this is only about 0.03% of Canada’s best farmland, according to the developer.
Many projects also explore shared land use. With agrivoltaics, farm operations like crop growing and livestock grazing can continue between solar panels. Livestock farmers can still use the land while supporting energy production, sometimes with help from solar irrigation systems to maintain crops.
Solar panels can also be installed on barn roof structures to avoid using farmland.
Solar Panels Benefit the Environment and Also Help Farmers in Return
There is still a lot to discuss about combining solar with Canadian farms, but studies being published in Canada and outside the country do show how it is still possible to combine both in a more sustainable way.
Besides, using solar or more renewable energy is much better than fossil fuels.
What fossil fuels can do to farming:
- Release greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. This leads to climate change, which causes more extreme heat and floods. These conditions can damage crops, reduce yields, and make farming less predictable.
- Polluted air can harm plant growth by reducing photosynthesis, while also affecting soil quality over time.
- Oil spills, industrial runoff, and fuel-related chemicals can contaminate rivers and irrigation systems.
Increasing crop production and supporting pollinators are not the only benefits of a solar array. Farmers can use renewable sources to reduce operational costs and achieve income diversification. In addition, improved energy efficiency and higher panel efficiency can help farms generate excess energy that may be sold back to the grid, creating additional resources.
Government policies and federal incentives, such as the accelerated capital cost allowance, also encourage farmers and solar companies to develop projects that support clean energy adoption. Many sustainable energy reviews highlight how these systems can contribute to sustainable development while helping to reduce costs in long-term farm operations.
Solar integration can also help farmers lower expenses related to farming machinery, irrigation, and general farm operations. At the same time, combining agriculture with solar installations can help address land use conflicts by allowing land to be used for both food production and energy generation.
Crop and Livestock Farmers Can Benefit From Solar
It may seem intimidating to install solar panels on your land, but they provide a sustainable source for your energy needs. You can start small with such projects and later expand to integrating them with growing crops.
Dramatically reduce your operational costs while contributing to environmental protection. Discuss your goals with our solar installers at Abbotsford Solar Installations to get started. Call us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it easy to harvest crops when using a solar energy system?
Harvesting crops under solar panels can be more challenging than in traditional farming systems. Solar panels must be designed so that people and farming machinery can still move between or beneath them for planting and harvesting. In some cases, flexible or elevated panel systems are used to allow easier access for farm operations. When properly designed, agrivoltaics can still support efficient harvesting while producing both food and energy.
Can all crops grow under the shade provided by solar panels?
Some crops grow very well under solar panels because they can tolerate shade and benefit from the cooler, more stable environment. For example, leafy greens like lettuce and spinach, root vegetables such as carrots and radishes, and berries like strawberries can thrive under solar panels. Herbs such as basil, mint, and rosemary also grow well, as shade reduces plant stress and improves quality.
How much do agrivoltaic systems reduce emissions and fossil energy demand?
A life cycle analysis of agrivoltaics, which evaluates environmental impacts from development through operation, shows that these systems produce about 69.3% fewer greenhouse gas emissions and use 82.9% less fossil fuel energy than when food farming and solar farms are run separately.
