The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University established the Agrivoltaics Research Program in 2024 to bring together dozens of researchers across campus and external partners to explore the engineering, agronomics, economics, policy and social science of agrivoltaics — the use of farmland for both agriculture and solar energy.
"So there certainly is interest in this idea of agrivoltaics, but people want a lot more information about what that would actually mean for their farms," said Rich Stedman, professor of natural resources and the environment in CALS. "Because agricultural land is so 'in the crosshairs' with utility-scale solar, it's very important that we figure out how to avoid prime farmland and how to work with farmers in a way that honors what they actually do and want to do."
An equally important factor, according to Max Zhang, the Irving Porter Church Professor of Engineering in Cornell Engineering and Provost's Fellow for Public Engagement: What will it cost energy consumers?
"The cost-effectiveness of agrivoltaics systems is crucial to market adoption and the overall energy transition," said Zhang, whose team conducted the New York state land-use analysis. "As solar becomes a major source of electricity generation in the near future, we must ensure electricity remains affordable for the public."
Learn more about how agrivoltaics offer array of options for farmland use by visiting https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2025/02/solar-solutions-agrivoltaics-offer-array-options-farmland-use.
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