Dual-use rules can alleviate concern over solar farms, says rural group
With solar energy becoming more common, local officials should consider agrivoltaics, which combine solar panels and agricultural production on the same land, when drafting or amending ordinances on solar siting, said the Center for Rural Affairs on Monday. The center, based in Nebraska, released a "best practices" fact sheet that cited economic benefits from dual use sites and warned that overly prescriptive regulations could backfire.
Little mixing of crops and solar panels in agrivoltaics, so far
The infant industry of agrivoltaics most often combines a large solar farm with pollinator-friendly vegetation rather than crop production, said USDA analysts. In the near term, the land might also be used for sheep pasturage or for high-value crops such as blueberries, but most farm equipment is too big to work around the panels.