There’s a unique form of agriculture being studied at Iowa State University: “agrivoltaics,” which is the crossroads between solar power production and farming practices. At the Alliant Energy Solar Farm south of Ames, they’re trying to figure out which ag practices will integrate the best solar production. Michael Killewald, agrivoltaics outreach coordinator at Iowa State University, said the primary focus is on the energy production.
Killewald said they are trying several different crops and conservation practices to see what can be the most productive around the solar panels on the farm.
Killewald said they even found that the panels create a beneficial micro-environment for the nearby plants- and in return, the plants can help to cool off the panels when it gets hot.
Since this is a largely new area of study, Killewald said they are hosting open houses at the solar farm throughout the summer so people can get a first-hand look at what agrivoltaics can look like.
The open houses will be taking place on the farm through this September. Reach out to solarfarm@iastate.edu with any questions.
