BlueWave Solar is currently working on installing solar panels that won’t take over cropland on farms. Solar energy could help improve farming, but there are some challenges to overcome first. (Image credit: Dennis Schroeder, NREL)
As the demand for renewable energy increases, farmers are looking for new ways to make their own farms greener. Solar panels are a popular option, and while it’s not uncommon, they come with their own set of challenges. You don’t want the panels to use up a lot of the cropland, and if the panels are too big, it limits the type of motorized equipment that can be used. Luckily, one Boston based company is working on a solution that will allow farmers to install solar panels without jeopardizing their farmland.
Alternative energy company BlueWave Solar is spearheading a new project that aims to help preserve farms by improving soil and enhance nutrition for grazing animals. The company is currently launching the project in collaboration with a farm in Grafton, Massachusetts, and the University of Massachusetts, who administers the SMART solar program.
The project includes 12 acres set aside for grazing, and two acres for raising vegetables. Solar panels raised about 10 feet off the ground will be installed in both fields. To let in more sunlight, every third panel will be removed. In addition to this, the solar panels are bifacial, which allows their backside to convert solar energy reflected from the ground.
If this proves to be successful, the project will kick into high gear once monitoring equipment is installed to see how well the land handles this process.
“This might be the basis for putting carbon back in the soil,” BlueWave Solar’s Drew Pierson said. “We can measure how the land responds to this kind of management technique, including the infiltration of stormwater, the density of grass, and the beneficial microclimate of the solar panels.”
There will also be a manager who will facilitate communication between the farmer, the SMART inventive program, and the stakeholders in the project. They’ll also support the farmer with agricultural planning and resources. The company hopes the new manager-assisted program will open up new opportunities for launching new farming operations and reviving dormant ones.
Though they’re still developing the program, the results on Grafton farm have been promising so far. Though the farm has been handled by the same family for decades, they stopped production when financials ran out. This new project will help them start production for the first time in 20 years. Grafton now marks the first community solar farm in the state.
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