Part 1: Agrivoltaics – an alternative to traditional solar

Commercial-scale solar development is on the rise in Nevada and this burgeoning industry is generating more than just electricity. Hostility and concern have been growing right alongside these large photovoltaic facilities but Misha Allen is hopeful that it doesn’t always have to be that way.

Allen is the Northern Nye County Extension educator for the University of Nevada, Reno Cooperative Extension, an off-shoot of the university that focuses on responding to local community needs.

“And every community is different,” Allen told the Pahrump Valley Times. “In attending the Nye County Commission meetings, pretty quickly I was hearing all of the public comment, particularly coming out of Pahrump and the southern portion of the county, in regard to solar. There was a lot of fear, there was a lot of anger, but in general, I heard a lot of reasonable concerns that really resonated with me. And I thought, this isn’t new, so what are other communities doing to address these issues?”

Allen has experience with civil engineer and design-build processes but at the time she started to consider solutions, she did not have a background in solar. Despite this, she was determined to find methods that could allow for the solar industry’s development while also assuaging the disquiet of local residents and she’s learned plenty since.

“I found what I call ‘co-priority’ solar projects. These are projects that have two priorities – they are not just that traditional solar development we’re used to seeing. The two in particular that I felt best reflected the values of Nye County and the values of Nevada were agrivoltaics and ecovoltaics,” Allen detailed.

Agrivoltaics involves farming and ranching under elevated solar panels while ecovolatics is centered on conservation under solar panels. “Maybe you’re not harvesting anything for an agricultural purpose, but you’re working to preserve and enhance the land,” Allen noted.

There are almost 600 such operations in the U.S. but none yet in Nevada and Allen is working to see that change.

“Because many people don’t even know that this exists and you can’t ask for what you don’t know is an option,” she remarked. “If this is something people want to bring into their communities, I am here to help them learn about and implement that.”

Allen has compiled a host of data on the agrivoltaic alternative to traditional photovoltaic solar farms, delving into the specifics of these types of operations and highlighting their associated benefits.

“America is on a path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” an agrivoltaics informational overview states. “Solar programs are an integral component to the federal plan, backed by a significant financial investment. Counties across Nevada have received almost 100 solar plant applications in total. Solar projects are coming to our state and rural counties. How can we ensure that it will be good for our communities? Agrivoltaics may hold the answers.”

A presentation on the subject includes an array of photographs, many side-by-side, illustrating the differences between traditional solar farms and agrivoltaics. While one system has an almost post-apocalyptic feel to it, the other shows a more careful, environmentally-conscious look.

“It’s an emotional response, the side-by-side gives a very strong impression,” Allen added.

And it’s not just the attractiveness of such operations that excites Allen but the symbiotic potential, too.

“The science of this is just absolutely fascinating,” Allen enthused. “These two combined, the solar and the agriculture, they actually do better together; there’s synergy within the system.”

She explained that the solar panels provide shade to any crops growing underneath them, helping both the plants and the soil to retain moisture and therefore, reducing irrigation needs. Not only this, the filtered shade also creates a cooler microclimate that then cools the panels, allowing for more productive electricity generation. Allen said studies have shown that agrivoltaic systems can result in irrigation reduction of 30 to 45% and a 10% increase in efficiency for the solar panels. In the same vein, the panels aid farm workers and livestock, too, reducing heat exhaustion and physiological stress.

“So, all of this sounded really too good to be true and I knew that Nye County would be really skeptical of course, even more skeptical than me,” Allen said. “I needed to go and see this for myself.”

Through a grant-funded tour, Allen visited several agrivoltaic facilities in Arizona, California, Colorado and Oregon, where she was amazed at the ingenuity displayed at each.

Readers can find all the details on Allen’s tour in Part 2 of this series on agrivoltaics, set for next Wednesday’s edition of the Times.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com