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The Rutgers Agrivoltiacs Program: Can Solar Energy Production and Agriculture Coexist?

Agricultural Issues

Peter Nitzsche
County Agent I
Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County
Morristown

Abstract

The state of New Jersey has ambitious renewable energy goals which have contributed to the loss of farmland to traditional solar power fields. A potential way to meet clean energy goals while protecting agriculture may be agrivoltaics. Agrivolatics is the co-location of solar photovoltaics (PV) and agriculture on the same land. The Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program (RAP) was formed with a multidisciplinary group of faculty and staff committed to conducting applied agrivoltaics research and outreach. With support from state and grant funding, RAP established three research sites to study agrivoltaics. The sites have solar arrays designed to allow agricultural production within and around the panels. Two sites have raised bifacial single axis tracking solar panels and a third site has vertically mounted bifacial solar panels. All sites have control areas without solar panels within the fields to evaluate the impact of solar panels on crop production. Crops currently being studied are orchard grass hay, soybean, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and pasture for livestock. Data collected includes crop yield and quality, energy production, soil health, economics and long term environmental impacts. The sites are also used for outreach demonstrations to farmers, landowners, solar providers, decision makers and the general public to inform them on potential benefits and drawbacks of agrivoltaics. Authors: Peter Nitzsche, William Bamka, Daniel Ward, David Specca, AJ Both, Rebeca Mata, Shawn Sorrels, Carey Williams, Clint Burgher, Andrew Wyenandt, Ramandeep Kumar Sharma
  1. Peter Nitzsche County Agent I, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County, New Jersey, 07963-0900
  2. William Bamka County Agent I, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County , New Jersey, 08060
  3. Daniel Ward Associate Research Professor in Pomology, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, New Jersey, 08302
  4. David Specca Assistant Director, Rutgers EcoComplex , New Jersey, 08505
  5. AJ Both Extension Specialist in Controlled-Environment Engineering, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, New Jersey, 08901
  6. Rebeca Mata Crops Researcher, Rutgers EcoComplex, New Jersey, 08505
  7. Shawn Sorrels Program Coordinator, Rutgers EcoComplex, New Jersey, 08505
  8. Carey Williams Extension Specialist in Equine Management, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, New Jersey, 08901
  9. Clint Burgher Animal Farm Manager, Rutgers University, New Jersey, 08901
  10. Andrew Wyenandt Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, New Jersey, 08302
  11. Ramandeep Kumar Sharma County Agent III, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Salem County , New Jersey, 08098