Impacts of Dual-Use Solar (Agrivoltaics) on Crop Productivity and the Agricultural Economy in Massachusetts and Beyond

Engineering notes

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Chinese explanation / 中文解读

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Original abstract

This project contributes applied research to better understand the impacts of agrivoltaics on farm microclimates, crop productivity, and economics at the farm and sector level. The site trial research is divided into two sets of site trials integrated into commercial farm and agrivoltaic operations – one set on annual vegetable and hay crops and one on perennial cranberry bog operations. The economic research developed methods for recording and evaluating changes in farm operations and costs, and on the public perception of and willingness-to-accept agrivoltaics. The vegetable and hay site trials examined agrivoltaic systems under field conditions with a focus on microclimate variation, crop response, and on-farm performance. The research developed microclimate monitoring stations capable of continuous, replicated measurement, capable of detecting many differences in environmental conditions across short distances within arrays. These data characterize distinct microclimates in arrays that vary by position and time of day. Analysis emphasized that commonly used summary metrics are insufficient on their own, and that interpretation requires consideration of duration, magnitude, and biological relevance. In parallel, the research evaluated several crop types and observed responses that were largely consistent with differences in light availability, with additional influence from temperature and crop-specific physiology. Crop yield and general plant performance was influenced by species and location within the array. In general, lower light-demand crops performed well within arrays while higher light-demand crops experienced more challenges and potential drawbacks. This work adds to the field by clearly identifying distinct microclimates within agrivoltaic systems, evaluating crop response patterns in a Northeast climate, and studying system performance under on-farm conditions. This on-farm work also revealed key considerations under farm management at scale and provided empirical data that can be used by farmers, researchers, and policy makers. Performance under active farm conditions provides a basis for evaluating performance beyond controlled settings. This provides insight into how these systems relate to, and differ from, typical farming practices. This information supports more informed assessment of agrivoltaic systems. At the cranberry site trials, the research (1) assessed eco-physiological and biochemical crop responses on a commercial cranberry bog grown under an agrivoltaics system with different row spacings in the year immediately after installation, and (2) analyzed the effects on yield and fruit quality over two growing seasons following installation. These activities helped improve understanding of how cranberry responds physiologically to shading from agrivoltaics. The research measured the productivity of cranberry after installing solar panels, revealing the trade-off between shading from energy production and yield. The data serves demonstrates how perennial fruit crops are expected to behave under shading from agricultural systems. The economic portion of the project advanced the study of agrivoltaics by addressing farm-level decision-making and public acceptance of land-use change to accommodate agrivoltaics. The research team designed detailed daily logbooks and whole-farm cost tracking systems tailored to multiple crops, enabling consistent measurement of labor, input use, and financial performance under both conventional and dual-use solar systems. These tools were aligned with established enterprise budgets and structured to integrate with financial modeling platforms, supporting forward-looking analysis of production trade-offs. In parallel, the team conducted an extensive interdisciplinary literature review spanning economic adoption models, renewable energy policy, and social acceptance, synthesizing insights from academic, policy, and stakeholder sources. Building on this foundation, the project implemented a large-scale discrete choice experiment across 6,750 U.S. consumers, incorporating randomized information treatments and behavioral elicitation (risk and social preferences), and applied mixed logit modeling to estimate preferences, willingness to pay, and heterogeneity across populations. Together, these methods contribute to the field by providing one of the first comprehensive frameworks that combines farm-level cost accounting, behavioral economics, and experimental valuation to evaluate agrivoltaic systems. The findings highlight both the opportunities and challenges of agrivoltaics for the public and agricultural sectors. While solar energy generation can substantially improve farm financial outcomes, observational evidence from on-farm integration in Massachusetts suggests that crop production under solar arrays often incurs higher costs, reduced yields, and operational constraints, potentially leading to lower overall food production. At the same time, results from the choice experiment reveal significant heterogeneity in public acceptance, with rural communities—who are most likely to host installations—expressing less support compared to urban and suburban populations. These outcomes underscore an important distributional tension, where the benefits of renewable energy may not align with local perceptions or agricultural priorities. For the public, this research provides actionable insights for designing more effective and equitable policies, including compensation mechanisms and future research questions that better support co-production of food and energy. Ultimately, the project informs policymakers, farmers, and stakeholders on how to balance renewable energy expansion with agricultural sustainability and community acceptance.

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