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U of I researching specialty crops in agrivoltaics

A professor in the department of crop sciences at the University of Illinois says his first-year research into growing specialty crops among solar panels is promising.

Bruce Branham says agrivoltaics has economic potential.

“Horticultural crops tend to be smaller acreage and so I could see combining the shade of solar panels with certain crops might actually be a benefit.”  He says, “That may actually make that farmer not only more productive but economically more viable.”

Branham tells Brownfield their forage trials have been surprising.

“Clover, for instance, alfalfa, orchard grass may actually yield better, or at least on par with full sun, because it’s not only shade that you get.”  He says, “Plants typically are going to have access to water a little longer under solar panels than they would have out in full sun.”

He says it could mean new revenue streams for farmers.

“To me it seems like as a farmer I could say, well, I’ll lease, you know, 10 acres of my land.”  He says, “They’ll pay me to maintain it, and I will actually then instead of just mowing it, I will grow some hay crops and harvest those, and whatever I sell is kind of like money in the bank.”

Branham says more research is needed, and this year’s trials are off to a good start. 

He says next year’s trials will take place on the university’s new specially designed agrivoltaics farm.

Brownfield spoke with Branham at the U of I’s recent Agrivoltaics Field Day.

AUDIO: Bruce Branham – U of I