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Dual-use solar & agrivoltaics: Everything you need to know
Dual-use solar & agrivoltaics: Everything you need to know
As a key element of Enel North America’s sustainability strategy, dual-use solar and agrivoltaics unite solar power and other productive land uses, such as agricultural production and ecological conservation, on the same land.
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Solar is the fastest-growing source of renewable energy in the U.S. This growth requires solar development on open land, but it doesn't have to sacrifice America's agricultural heritage. In fact, solar power and agriculture can work together.
From 2022 to 2023, new solar installations grew by 51%, making up about 54% of the country’s total new generation capacity. While solar energy is a naturally sustainable resource, solar projects should also be developed and built with sustainability as a priority — including sustainable land and asset use. As a result, developing dual uses for solar farms, such as livestock grazing, is on the rise.
Dual-use solar activities offer ways to protect and foster agriculture, ecology and biodiversity on solar farms. Some of these activities can also support carbon sequestration, provide farmers with new sources of income by keeping farmland in production, and even help solar companies streamline operations and maintenance (O&M) costs.
Those are some big promises, so let’s dive into it. At Enel North America, we’ve been at forefront of sustainable dual-use solar practices for nearly a decade, working with landowners, local partners and researchers to unite the benefits of solar energy, ecology and agriculture and create more value for solar technology and the lands surrounding it.
What is dual-use solar?
Dual-use solar, also known as multi-use solar, is the co-location of solar power production and other productive land uses, such as agriculture or ecosystem services. “Agrivoltaics” and “ecovoltaics” are the two most prominent categories of dual-use solar activities. As of July 2024, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) identified over 560 agrivoltaics and ecovoltaics sites across the U.S., representing 10,000 megawatts of solar power. These terms and their definitions are actively evolving as players in the industry research, develop and debate their meanings.
What is agrivoltaics?
At Enel North America, we define agrivoltaics as the co-location of solar power production and agricultural production, including crop or animal production. Agrivoltaics includes practices like growing crops at solar sites, raising animals for end products like meat, wool or hides, and using sheep to control vegetation — also called solar grazing.
- Crop Production: Farming the land beneath, between and around solar panels.
- Livestock Grazing: Maintaining solar farm landscapes with grazing sheep and other livestock used for end products.
- Apiaries: Hosting hives for honeybees at solar sites.
What is ecovoltaics?
Ecovoltaics can be defined as the co-location of solar power production and ecological conservation or ecosystem services, which includes practices like planting native or naturalized vegetation and fostering benefits for important insect pollinators, such as honeybees and butterflies. Perennial vegetation can be customized to provide these species with foraging and sheltering opportunities.
- Pollinator Services: Growing native and naturalized plants at solar farms to support biodiversity and pollinators.
- Wildlife Services: Cultivating habitats and shelters for birds, bats or other animals near solar sites.
- Conservation & Research: Monitoring and researching wildlife and ecosystems on and around solar farms, using wildlife-friendly fending, and maintaining corridors through projects for crossings.
The benefits of dual-use solar, agrivoltaics and ecovoltaics
There are many win-win relationships in dual-use solar, which is part of what makes the practice so impactful. On top of supporting clean energy production, dual-use solar strategies can improve the local ecosystem and strengthen rural economies, providing an array of benefits:
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For the environment
Choosing pollinator-friendly vegetation at solar farms is proven to help support ecosystems, biodiversity and even carbon sequestration. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and NREL studied Enel North America’s Aurora solar farm for five years after the site was planted with native and naturalized grasses and flowering plants. They found an increase in native plant species diversity, flower abundance and pollinating insects. In fact, native bees increased 20-fold and total insect abundance at the farm tripled.
Groundcover from native and naturalized plants also maintains and can even increase soil carbon over time, helping to keep carbon in the ground instead of lost to the atmosphere.
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For farming & livestock
The rise of agrivoltaics is an opportunity for farmers to optimize their land use and build their business. Commodity prices shift often, but revenue from solar leases are a steady source of cash flow for many farmers looking to diversify their income, build economic security and keep their farm in the family.
Some studies have shown agrivoltaics improves crop yields, protects crops from drought and prevents erosion. By keeping the ground cooler during the day and warmer at night, agrivoltaic systems can help retain soil moisture, so less water is needed to keep crops irrigated. Even when a dual-use solar site is adjacent to crop fields, those nearby farms may benefit. Pollinators add more than $18 billion in revenue to U.S. crop production every year.
Additionally, solar companies can work with local sheep farmers to control vegetation at solar sites. Using sheep in place of traditional lawnmowers can enhance the soil, maintain the rural land and give farmers an additional income stream. Sheep also act as pollinators, carrying and spreading seeds from plants around the landscape. The Eastern U.S. alone has over 4,000 acres of solar sites maintained with sheep, and the practice continues to grow. In 2024, Enel North America signed the largest announced solar grazing contract in the U.S. for eight Texas solar farms, which will be grazed by over 6,000 sheep.
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For rural communities
Agriculture is the backbone of our rural economies. As solar installations grow across the country, dual-use solar can play an important role in boosting those economies and preserving rural ways of life. Local businesses, such as beekeepers, farmers and livestock owners, can all partner with and benefit from dual-use solar farms. Even further, solar projects create jobs, diversify economies and tax bases and provide long-term economic impact that benefits entire communities.
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For solar energy
For renewable energy companies, dual-use solar activities can provide performance and O&M benefits, in some cases. As an example, perennial plants keep the ground and solar panels cooler, which some studies have indicated can improve electricity output. Additionally, for some projects, maintaining solar farm vegetation with grazing animals can cost less than traditional landscape maintenance, such as mechanical mowing.
Sustainable solar energy in action
The Aurora solar farm in Minnesota began operations in 2017 as Enel’s first sustainable dual-use solar project worldwide and one of the first in the solar industry to explore the concept of ecovoltaics. It generates more than 210 million kWh annually, equivalent to the energy needs of over 17,000 U.S. households. On top of producing solar energy, Aurora plays an essential role for pollinators, ecosystems and the local community. And in 2024, Aurora was recognized as the Solar Ecosystem of the Year at the North American Agrivoltaics Awards.
Pioneering dual-use solar to decarbonize responsibly
As one of the largest renewable energy operators in North America, we have over 10 GW of installed solar and wind power capacity in the U.S. and Canada. Enel North America first began researching and implementing dual-use solar almost a decade ago. Since then, we’ve established over 100 sustainable plant best practices, partnered with leading research organizations and collaborated with local farmers, businesses, non-profits and consultants to evolve and grow dual-use solar, agrivoltaics and ecovoltaics.
While developing every one of our solar projects, we evaluate the feasibility of dual-use solar practices. And when implementing ecovoltaics and agrivoltaics, Enel carefully evaluates local considerations to tailor a plan to the unique characteristics of each site. We use a programmatic approach, taking into account stakeholder considerations, ecological value, costs and feasibility, to determine appropriate dual-use practices.
As the deployment of solar power accelerates to meet renewable energy targets, sustainable land use is critical. Enel’s dual-use solar strategies work to maximize the sustainability of our solar fleet and help usher in new era of power generation that decarbonizes responsibly.
Our dual-use solar partners and champions
Dual-use solar, agrivoltaics and ecovoltaics FAQ
Dual-use solar works by co-locating solar power production and other productive land uses, such as agricultural production, ecological conservation or ecosystem services. Depending on the activities at a particular solar site, dual-use solar can be defined as agrivoltaics or ecovoltaics.
Agrivoltaics is the co-development of land for agricultural services and solar photovoltaic power. It works by integrating solar farms and agricultural activities, such as apiaries paired with pollinator-friendly plantings, grazing livestock or producing crops. Solar companies partner with landowners, farmers, beekeepers and other organizations to support and maintain the land uses.
Ecovoltaics is the co-development of land for ecological conversation or ecosystem services and solar photovoltaic power. It works by integrating solar farms and ecological activities, such as native or naturalized vegetation, pollinator-friendly vegetation, or habitats for birds, bats and other animals. Solar companies partner with landowners, researchers, consultants, non-profits and other organizations to support and maintain the land uses.
An agrivoltaic system is a solar site integrated with agricultural activities. These sites are carefully researched, designed and developed by experts to support the local environment, agriculture, economy and solar energy production.
There are a few key applications of dual-use solar to date: pollinator-friendly plantings, livestock grazing and crop production. Growing native and naturalized plants on solar farmland provides a variety of benefits for important insect pollinators, such as honeybees and butterflies. Using herds of sheep to maintain solar farm vegetation — also called solar grazing — clears obstructions from the panels reducing the need for mechanical vegetation maintenance. Some solar farms even take “farming” to the next level, using the land beneath and between panels to grow crops.
As of July 2024, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) identified over 560 dual-use sites for agrivoltaics and ecovoltaics across the U.S., representing 10,000 megawatts of solar power.
Dual-use solar has been studied by research institutions, organizations and universities around the world. Some of the most prominent research in North America has been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, carried out by its National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Before the development of the solar project, we evaluate all aspects of the project design. This includes detailed environmental surveys and working closely with landowners, farmers, the community and local officials to create a solar project that serves everyone as best it can while maintaining the integrity of the local land.
Our projects are intended to work in sync with the environment. During the design process, we carefully consider elements such as co-located agriculture, regenerative architecture, conservation landscaping, native and naturalized vegetation, pollinator-friendly plantings and other features that create shared value for the specific environment and community they’re located in.
Through long-term land lease agreements with Enel, farmers can generate solar energy on their land while continuing to farm on other parts. Solar leases are a steady source of cash flow for many farmers looking to diversify their income, build economic security and keep their farm in the family. Before developing a solar project on farmland, we work closely with the landowner to ensure the project creates shared value for the farm, local community and Enel.
We also partner with local sheep farmers through solar grazing contracts to support the maintenance of certain Enel solar sites.
Not all renewable energy projects have the same impact on advancing a sustainable energy transition. Corporate buyers who support projects where dual-use solar is viable go beyond decarbonized power generation — they are supporting sustainable land use, wildlife protection, air and water quality and economic development in a project’s local community.
Solar energy production is an opportunity for farmers to optimize their land use and build their business. Commodity prices shift often, but revenue from solar leases are a steady source of cash flow for many farmers looking to diversify their income, build economic security and keep their farm in the family.
Additionally, dual-use solar projects have been shown to improve crop yield, protect crops from drought and prevent erosion. By keeping the ground cooler during the day and warmer at night, agrivoltaic systems help retain soil moisture, so less water is needed to keep crops irrigated.
Dual-use solar activities can provide performance and O&M benefits, in some cases. As an example, perennial plants keep the ground and solar panels cooler, which some studies have indicated can improve electricity output. Additionally, for some projects, maintaining solar farm vegetation with grazing animals can cost less than traditional landscape maintenance, such as mechanical mowing.
While agrivoltaic farming has not been done on a utility scale in the continental U.S., Enel North America is continuously monitoring research to evaluate the potential of crop production as a dual-use activity. Researchers from the University of Arizona and Oregon State University have successfully grown leafy greens, root crops, peppers and tomatoes in agrivoltaic systems.
As an example, creating pollinator-friendly plantings at solar farms are proven to help support ecosystems and biodiversity. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and NREL found an increase in native plant species diversity, flower abundance and pollinating insects after Enel North America’s Aurora solar farm was planted with native and naturalized grasses and flowering plants. In fact, native bees increased 20-fold and total insect abundance at the farm tripled over five years.
Dual-use can also support carbon sequestration. Permanent groundcover from native and naturalized perennial plants maintains and increases soil carbon over time, helping to keep carbon in the ground instead of lost to the atmosphere.
Solar projects create jobs, diversify economies and tax bases and provide long-term economic impact that benefits entire communities. As solar installations grow across the country, agrivoltaics can play an important role in boosting rural economies and preserving agricultural communities. Local businesses, such as beekeepers, farmers and livestock owners, can all partner with and benefit from dual-use solar farms.