The Solar Farming Movement

15 Aug The Solar Farming Movement

Many farmers have cultural, emotional, and family ties to not only their land but the work they do. Feeding America is no small feat, however, it is not as profitable as it should be. In 2017, the average farm income was $43,000, and in 2019 there are a record number of food producers going bankrupt across the country. Farmers want to do what they love without fear of financial instability and solar energy has helped many of them achieve just that.

This 8.04 kW ground-mounted system was installed in Dudley, MA and features 335 watt LG Panels and a SolarEdge inverter.

Why are Farms Going Solar?

Though putting solar on land that could otherwise grow crops seems taboo to many farmers, it can really help in the long run. Farm owners that produce renewable energy to reduce their electric bill or sell their energy for additional income have found it affords them more money to do what they love. It saves them hundreds or thousands a month, which leads to astronomical yearly savings. Farmers can also sell the electricity they produce and do not use to have a steady income from producing renewable energy. They also receive tax benefits from solar and can significantly reduce the initial cost to them.

Aside from the large financial benefits solar also helps the environment which farmers strongly care for and depend on. Farmers know more than anyone how climate change, increasing temperatures, and more severe storms can impact their yields. Climate change has increased average temperatures which leads to more precipitation and has caused many crops to be unsuccessful and more difficult to grow. 13 federal agencies have warned that climate change will not only cost the country billions of dollars but will also decrease agricultural productivity to the levels of the production in the 1980s. Giving back to the environment by producing renewable energy and reducing the country’s dependence on fossil fuels has given a newfound love to many farmers, allowing them to give back to the earth they’ve always depended on.

Solar panels can save farmers hundreds of thousands of dollars in their operating costs. They can also provide an additional income as they can sell the electricity they produce which there is always a demand for. Some wonder how solar will affect their land as it is one of their most important assets, but solar panels actually provide a microclimate that allows shade-tolerant species to grow on land where they otherwise could not have grown. A solar array can also allow native species to flourish. Installing ground-mount solar panels allows soil time to regenerate, and the panels could later be moved to help crop rotations and keep the soil fertile and full of nutrients.

How Can Farms Start?

The United States Department of Agriculture has created REAP, the Rural Energy for America Program. This program offers financial assistance to farms and small rural businesses to install renewable energy systems, update energy efficiency, use renewable technology to reduce energy consumption, and participate in energy audits as well as renewable energy development. For a farm to qualify the producer must have at least 50% of gross income coming from agricultural operations. This program offers:

• Loan guarantees on loans up to 75% of total eligible project costs.
• Grants for up to 25% of total eligible project costs.
• Combined grant and loan guarantee funding up to 75% of total eligible project costs.

Farms That Have Planted the Seed

The Farmers Hen House’s is a family-owned egg company in rural southeastern Iowa. They are a processing plant that offers free-range, organic eggs and their facility is powered by 100% solar energy. Initially, the farm installed 4.5 acres of a solar array in 2014 and have since added an additional 9 acres.

This 8.12 kW ground-mounted system was built in Townsend, MA with Hanwha 290-watt panels and SolarEdge inverter.

A farmer in Desha County, Arkansas went solar and started saving $30,000 a year. AJ Hood was onboard with adding solar to his farm and said, “I believe solar is going to be as practical on a farm as a tractor in the next five years”. In off-seasons where he uses less electricity, he is compensated for selling electricity back to the grid and it can lower the energy bill of others in the town as well.

Wonderful Co. in California grows tree nuts and also owns the Pom Wonderful and Fiji Water brands. The company is working to power its operation entirely on renewable energy by 2025 and stands to make about as much money producing solar power over a 30-year period as they do growing almonds and pistachios, two of the most lucrative crops in the state.

So, there are many benefits that come from farms going solar. From drastically reduced electric bills to selling energy for profit, and even protecting their soil, farmers have found countless reasons to go solar and have begun to do so all over the world. As climate change has become a common theme in headlines and public debates, it’s great to see the agricultural industry taking big steps to affect positive change for the environment and economy.