New York & New Jersey Smart Solar℠

Like many states, New York and New Jersey have adopted ambitious clean energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals, and getting to these goals means an increase in solar development. Research by AFT, US Department of Energy and Cornell all find that most of the solar development, approximately 80%, will occur on farmland because it is typically flat, already cleared, and close to transmission lines. Although farmland loss to solar may be minimal compared to low density residential development, any loss of farmland is concerning.

This additional threat to farmland, on top of farmland loss due to low density residential development, or urban sprawl, caused AFT to look for solutions to minimize the loss of farmland. AFT has adopted smart solar principles to support farm operations, maximizing renewable energy generation while minimizing impact on our best farmland. One of those principles is increasing agrivoltaics — producing energy and agricultural products on the same piece of land.

Advancing Agrivoltaics

As AFT has defined it, an agrivoltaic system is a ground-mounted photovoltaic solar energy system that has been intentionally planned and designed with agricultural producers or experts and is constructed and operated to achieve integrated and simultaneous production of both solar energy and marketable agricultural products—including crop production, grazing, and animal husbandry—on the land beneath and/or between rows of solar panels, as soon as agronomically feasible and optimal for the agricultural producer after the commercial solar operation date and continuing until decommissioning.

Agrivoltaics, if done right, can be a viability tool for farmers, diversifying income from the lease payment, producing energy and keeping the land in active agricultural production.
Farmers are asking for proof of concept, and AFT supports further research and demonstration projects to show how agrivoltaics can be a farm viability tool.

Opportunities in Agrivoltaics: Building Viability on Northeast Farms

With funding from Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), American Farmland Trust is launching an 18-month training program to support farmers in New York and New Jersey in designing and planning successful agrivoltaics projects. The program is geared toward new and beginning farmers, land seekers, and producers interested in integrating crops or livestock within a solar array. Participants will receive a $750 participation stipend and travel stipends will also be available to offset travel costs. Please note that space is limited and applications are due by March 20. Apply here.

For any questions, comments, or for additional information about the project, please contact: Pieter Coetzee, Technical Specialist, [email protected].