Farmers are Using Solar Energy to Save Water and Diversify Income
Farmers in California’s Central Valley, known for its productive agricultural land, are facing serious challenges from rising temperatures, drought, and water restrictions. To address these issues, many are turning to solar energy as an unexpected lifeline. New research from Michigan State University (MSU) shows how solar panels are helping farmers reduce costs, conserve water, and even earn more income.
According to MSU researchers Jacob Stid, Annick Anctil, and Anthony Kendall, solar energy development is transforming agriculture in California. Farmers are using solar to diversify their income sources and adapt to climate change. The 2022 U.S. Department of Agriculture survey found that over 6,500 solar arrays are currently located on U.S. farmland.
Installing solar panels on farmland has some trade-offs. While it means losing land for crop production, the economic benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Farmers can earn up to 25 times more per acre with solar energy than with traditional crops. Those who lease their land for solar arrays still gain significant savings on irrigation costs.
In addition to economic benefits, solar energy helps with water conservation. Farmers who install solar arrays on irrigated land save enough water to supply drinking water for 27 million people each year. This move also supports compliance with California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
Looking to the future, solar energy can coexist with farming through agrivoltaics, where solar panels are installed above crops or grazing land. This ensures that farming and clean energy development can work together.
For farmers in Michigan, a similar solar energy transition could provide the same benefits. Research is underway to understand the effects of solar development on farmland, and it is expected that solar energy will help protect livelihoods and ensure food security.