Preserving Farmland By Going Solar
The best land to develop solar power systems on is flat, dry, and free of any obstruction of the sun. It just so happens that land with these qualities are also ideal for growing crops. As Virginia moves toward eliminating carbon emissions through the adoption of renewable energy, farmland is frequently brought up as an excellent site for developing solar power systems due to its flatness and access to the sun.
There are concerns, however, that solar power will contribute to the demise of America’s farmland. Millions of acres of farmland in the United States have been lost in the last twenty years, generally in order to develop the land for non-agricultural purposes. Because solar power requires a great deal of land — Virginia will likely need over 16,000 acres to develop solar power in order to meet carbon neutralization goals — many concerns exist about how solar power could further the loss of farmland in the state.
Conversations about land-use in regards to solar power and farmland are often structured around a binary: land can either be used for solar production, or it can be used for crop production.
But a closer look into the relationship between solar power and farmland reveals a more nuanced picture: when solar panels are installed on a farm, that farmland is being preserved rather than sold to developers, who could end up using the land to build things like shopping centers. By participating in a land-lease agreement permitting solar panels on a farm, farmers can guarantee a source of revenue from the clean energy production, even during the winter when crops can’t be harvested. This allows farmers to keep their farmland without feeling pressured to sell the land to developers. Once the land-lease agreement has expired, the farm can get right back to growing crops.
Solar panels do not destroy farmland. In fact, it’s possible for farmers to harvest crops on the same land that solar panels harvest the sun; studies show that the co-location of crops and solar panels can actually lead to a higher agricultural yield.
Even if a farmer decides to not co-locate solar panels and crops, the development of solar power systems can benefit farms down the line. By letting certain tracks of land lie fallow while solar panels are in place, a farmer restores the fertility of the land, preparing it to produce crops with a renewed vigor once a few years have passed. This allows a farmer to bring in revenue in the form of solar energy while preparing the farmland to bring in revenue from crops at a later date, once organic matter has been recovered in the land.
Some states have realized the benefits of siting solar power systems on farms and offer incentives to encourage the practice. The most successful example of this is in Massachusetts, where roughly 14% of electricity is generated by solar power. The Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target Program, or SMART, provides financial assistance for those looking to develop solar power systems, with special provisions for those looking to install solar panels on farmland. Effective in encouraging the use of solar power throughout the state, the program was expanded last year.
Solar power doesn’t destroy farmland, but rather preserves it. The installation of solar power on farms prevents farmland from being used for nonagricultural purposes and helps farmers bring in a new source of revenue. In the interest of maintaining existing farmland in the state, Virginia should continue to explore how farmers can bring solar power systems to their farmland.