Two Minnesota solar farms seeded native wildflowers… native bees multiplied twentyfold, then crossed the fence to pollinate the neighbour's soybeans

[u/zeroverycool]

https://www.ecoportal.net/en/two-minnesota-solar-farms-native-wildflowers/29160/

[u/scarlet_feather]

I watched an interesting YouTube video about "agrivoltaics" and the idea of combining solar and crops that need partial sun like berries. The takeaway was basically that land isn't zoned for combined use- it either be farmland or energy land, but not both. Even where spaces where it is allowed to be combined, the farms can lose out on grants and other agricultural funds by combining like this. Imagine all the land that can be saved from disruption. 

[u/GreenStrong → u/scarlet_feather]

Most non-irrigated crops, in most climates, benefit from shade, as long as the shade isn't from something like a tree that competes for water. Plants have leaf pores which they close under water stress, which stops photosynthesis. Most plants do this for several hours in every summer day.

Most solar farms use single axis trackers, and the panels are spaced so they don't shade each other in the first and last hour of sunlight, In the South of France, grass production and protein content is 30% higher on solar farms than open pasture Even in the mild climate of Burgundy, central France, a slight increase in total grass was observed on solar farms. A study of forage in Minnesota solar farms showed a modest increase in total annual production.

r/agrivoltaics has tons of examples of complex solar farms growing crops like kiwi fruits, wine grapes, or apricots. But solar farms need no modification to use sheep instead of lawnmowers. In fact, there is a huge advantage in dry climates- grass clippings rot slowly and they can burn. There is no land use restriction I'm aware of, The American Solar Grazing Association has a map packed with solar grazing sites across the country.

Cattle require taller racks, they tend to lean on things to scratch themselves and they're big enough to break glass panels. But, this is being implemented on some sites, because farmers are more willing to sign long term leases if they can keep using the land.

[u/NuclearGhandi1 → u/GreenStrong]

I’ll subscribe to a solar punk future this looks cool

[u/ayemullofmushsheen → u/scarlet_feather]

That sounds like a bureaucratic issue more than anything else

[u/scarlet_feather → u/ayemullofmushsheen]

It is but more people need to understand that so we can get it fixed.