Agrivoltaics Key to Productivity
Published: Friday, May 29, 2026
Across the country, farmers, landowners and rural communities are taking a closer look at how solar development can work alongside agriculture instead of competing with it.
Agrivoltaics, or dual-use solar, is growing interest as people look for ways to keep land productive, support conservation and create new opportunities. Agrivoltaics includes beneficial practices such as growing crops beneath panels, grazing livestock on solar sites and the inclusion of pollinator habitat.
While large solar systems can have a considerable footprint, proven dual-use practices can ensure energy projects and agriculture productively coexist.
To help understand the economic and environmental benefits, the Center for Rural Affairs has developed a webinar series focused on research, real-world examples, and producer perspectives.
One video features panelists who discuss cattle voltaics, specialty crop production and emerging agrivoltaics research.
Another introduces the Center's comprehensive set of resources for the public and local decision makers, such as community benefit agreements, siting resources, and model ordinance language.
A third webinar provides a helpful foundation by explaining the basics of agrivoltaics and showing how solar systems can work alongside conservation practices, grazing, and crop and vegetable production on working lands.
These webinars complement a toolkit of other agrivoltaics resources created by the Center, including fact sheets, guides, and research papers aimed at highlighting how agriculture and solar can work together.
As interest in solar continues to grow in rural communities, these resources can help producers and community members better understand what is possible on the ground. Hearing directly from researchers, educators and practitioners can help move the conversation beyond assumptions and toward practical possibilities.
Farmers, landowners, local officials, and rural residents are encouraged to explore these resources and learn more about how solar and agriculture can work together. The webinar series can be found at cfra.org/agrivoltaics under siting resources.
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