SOMETHING NEW UNDER THE SUN

The case for combining farming and solar energy

- TOM PHILPOTT

AMERICA'S SOLAR INDUSTRY is slated for a big boost from the Democrats' recently passed climate bill, yet solar still only accounts for about 3 percent of electricity flowing into America's grid-less than one-seventh the share from coal. If we want to phase out fossil fuels and accommodate an electric vehicle revolution, the sun's contribution has to rise dramatically and fast. But where to put those panels?

The best places for solar installations, according to a 2019 study from the University of Utah and Oregon State, tend to be the areas where we already grow our food. That's because, just like sun-loving tomato plants that fare poorly when the mercury creeps north of 85 °F, photovoltaic (PV) panels lose their efficiency at higher temperatures. But that doesn't mean we have to starve ourselves to keep lights on and cars humming. By elevating solar panels far enough above the ground so people, plants, and animals can operate underneath, we can "essentially harvest the sun twice," says University of Arizona researcher Greg Barron-Gafford. Enough sunlight to grow crops gets past the panels, which also act as a shield against extreme heat, drought, and storms.