On a Colorado farm, solar panels bring shade for plants, power – and cash: in pictures
A Colorado farmer is successfully utilizing agrovoltaics, the practice of growing crops and raising livestock beneath solar panels. The setup provides shade that protects plants from extreme heat while generating renewable energy income for the farm.
Why it matters
Agrovoltaics offers a dual-use land strategy that can help farmers adapt to climate change while ensuring financial stability.
On a Colorado farm, solar panels bring shade for plants, power – and cash: in pictures | Solar power | The Guardian
When Byron Kominek moved to his family’s 24-acre (10-hectare) farm outside of Longmont, Colorado, in 2016, he quickly noticed how a changing climate was wreaking havoc on crops. Warmer summers and less rain meant the farm’s grass, grown for silage and hay, wasn’t growing nearly as high as it had in the past
Kominek found a solution in agrovoltaics, the practice of intertwining solar power production with raising crops and livestock
The farm, which Kominek named for his late grandfather, boasts 3,276 panels and partners with university researchers to test best practices in agrovoltaic farming
Ashley Gilbert, founder of the Foothills Flax Project, waters flaxseed blossoms. She says the crop has thrived under the shade of the solar panels
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