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The use of solar panels in rural areas is growing around the world and brings economic, environmental and energy benefits, even in the face of tariff cuts in California.
The use of solar energy in agricultural areas is becoming an increasingly common practice around the world. With the falling cost of renewable energy technologies and the worsening water shortages in productive regions, many farmers have reconfigured their properties to generate electricity with solar panels, harvesting not only food but also sunlight.
In California, a recent study found that the practice has been highly profitable for Central Valley farmers over the past two decades. On average, installing solar energy has provided farmers with an annual revenue of US$ 124 thousand per hectare, a value 25 times higher than the yield from traditional cultivation on idle land.
Farmland becomes a source of solar energy
California’s Central Valley is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the United States. Responsible for one-third of the country’s fruits and vegetables, it occupies only 1% of the country’s agricultural area. However, high productivity comes with severe challenges, such as excessive use of groundwater and prolonged periods of drought.
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To overcome these difficulties, many farmers have started using parts of their land to generate solar energy. The panels are installed in fallow areas or in areas where cultivation has become unviable due to the scarcity of water resources.
The energy generated is used directly on the properties, supplying irrigation systems and other activities. The surplus is directed to the electricity grid, guaranteeing additional income for producers.
Agriculture and renewable energy in the same space
In addition to generating energy, many farmers are adopting integrated practices known as agrosolar, where specific crops are planted under solar panels. This combination is especially useful for vegetables that are sensitive to excess sun, such as leafy greens and berries.
The shade provided by the panels reduces water evaporation from the soil, allowing for less irrigation. In return, the microclimate created helps to cool the panels, increasing their energy efficiency.
Other farmers are converting shaded areas into pastures. Cattle roaming under the panels naturally fertilize the soil, encouraging vegetation growth and supporting native pollinators.
According to Ryan Romack, founder of AgriSolar Ranch, the vegetation under the panels tends to be greener and healthier. “Especially where sheep have been grazing for a long time, you can see the improvement in soil quality,” he says.
Challenges with new regulations
Despite the success of integrating solar energy and agriculture, the profitability of the practice faces new obstacles. Recently, California reduced the rates paid by farmers for electricity generated and sent to the grid by an average of 75%.
The change has discouraged some farmers who were planning to invest in new solar systems. According to Karen Norene Mills, vice president of the California Farm Bureau, “the math that used to justify the investment no longer adds up.”
Even so, many experts believe that food production and energy generation do not have to be mutually exclusive. Solar energy can be incorporated into the production system without completely eliminating the agricultural function of the land.
Risks and adjustments in land use
The study also found that by converting agricultural land into solar fields, the Central Valley lost an amount of food equivalent to 86 people's calories per year. However, the researchers point out that markets adjust over time as other regions begin to meet this food demand.
The expectation is that, at the end of the panels’ useful life — generally between 25 and 30 years — the soil will be richer in nutrients, ready to be reused in agriculture. Even in areas that remain fallow, the ecosystem tends to recover and provide long-term benefits.
Jake Stid, a scientist at Michigan State University and lead author of the study, says solar energy can be managed in a way that simultaneously benefits the planet, producers and ecosystems.
Energy, water and climate: a rural equation
The advancement of renewable energy in the field is directly linked to the search for solutions to climate change and pressure on water resources. The use of solar panels offers a sustainable alternative in regions where the soil is no longer as productive as before, and water has become a scarce commodity.
In the current context, farmers face the need to reduce the use of groundwater while maintaining their production and income. With solar energy generation, it is possible to operate equipment such as water pumps at a lower cost and sell electricity to boost the farm's budget.
For many farmers, converting even a small portion of their land to generate energy is enough to financially balance the rest of their farming operation.
Brazil and the rural potential for solar energy
Although the study was conducted in the United States, the findings are also of interest to the Brazilian agricultural sector. The country has ample solar energy and vast rural areas that could adopt similar solutions.
Programs to encourage distributed generation and the regulation of microgenerators are already in place, but the challenge is to expand access to credit and reduce bureaucracy so that farmers of different sizes can participate in this transition.
The combined use of solar energy, rotational pasture, environmental preservation and shade cultivation can be a model to be replicated in several Brazilian regions, contributing to the energy and water security of the countryside.
Solar energy as a new agricultural crop
Solar power generation is no longer just a technological or environmental issue. It has become part of the business strategy of farmers who want to maintain their activities in a scenario of climate change, pressure on natural resources and market fluctuations.
For many of them, sunlight has become a valuable commodity, harvested through solar panels and converted into electricity, income and stability. More than a crop replacement, it is a smart adaptation that combines productivity, conservation and innovation in land use.
Source: Canary Media
