Why Agrivoltaics
Cultivating the Future with Agrivoltaics
Agrivoltaics, also known as dual-use solar, is a forward-thinking approach that pairs solar power generation with agriculture. This innovative model allows the same parcel of land to produce both clean, renewable energy and agricultural products, creating a powerful synergy that benefits farmers, landowners, and the environment. By integrating solar infrastructure with active farming, we can meet our growing energy needs while preserving valuable agricultural land.
Unlock Your Land's Full Potential
Lightstar is a leader in developing agrivoltaic projects that honor agricultural traditions while paving the way for a sustainable future. We enable landowners to double their land's productivity, generating reliable, long-term solar lease income without sacrificing agricultural output. This creates diversified revenue streams, providing financial stability against fluctuating commodity prices and reducing on-farm energy costs.
Our expert team collaborates closely with farmers and landowners to design custom dual-use solar projects. We ensure the layout accommodates everything from crop rotation and livestock grazing to existing wells and farming infrastructure, making the transition to agrivoltaics seamless.
The Benefits
For Farmers & Landowners
Diversified & Stable Income: Secure a predictable, long-term revenue stream from solar energy production in addition to your agricultural operations.
Increased Land Productivity: Boost your land's efficiency by up to 70% compared to single-use methods by harvesting both sunlight and crops.
Reduced Operational Costs: Lower on-farm energy expenses by using the clean electricity generated right on your property.
Improved Working Conditions: The shade from solar panels provides a cooler, safer environment for farm workers, reducing exposure to extreme heat.
For Agriculture
Enhanced Crop Resilience: Partial shade from solar panels protects crops from extreme heat and drought, reducing plant stress and improving yields for certain produce.
Significant Water Conservation: By reducing evaporation and plant transpiration, agrivoltaic systems can decrease irrigation needs, saving a critical resource.
Extended Growing Seasons: The stable microclimates created under the panels can allow for longer growing periods for certain crops.
New Crop Opportunities: Cultivate high-value, shade-tolerant crops that may not otherwise thrive in your region's direct sun.
This dual-use approach delivers powerful advantages across agriculture, finance, and the environment.
For the Environment
Clean Energy & Land Preservation: Generate renewable energy with a minimal land footprint, preventing the conversion of valuable farmland to purely industrial use.
Enhanced Biodiversity: Solar sites can be managed to create thriving habitats for pollinators and other beneficial insects, supporting local ecosystems.
Improved Soil Health: Dual-use systems support continuous vegetation cover, which can improve soil quality and help rejuvenate degraded lands.
Carbon Reduction: Combine clean energy generation with sustainable agricultural practices to significantly lower carbon emissions.
Partner with Lightstar to cultivate a brighter future. Let's build a solar project that maximizes benefits, respects the land, and secures your agricultural legacy for generations to come
Contact us to discuss solar for your land
Dual Use: Solar + Crops
Lease your land for harvesting solar while continuing to farm with Lightstar.
Hosting a community solar project with Lightstar doesn’t mean you need to retire your land from farming. We can design and build projects to accommodate livestock grazing with higher, stronger racking or to allow for cultivating crops with wider spacing between the rows of solar panels. Our team also understands that considerations around farming needs, such as crop rotation and regenerative agriculture, may need to be built into the solar project’s design.
This arrangement enables landowners to not only reap more income from their land, but to also continue to support farming, either by them and their family or by other farmers in their community.
Solar + Crops
Our installations are designed with your crops in mind. We consider appropriate spacing to accommodate cultivation, as well as infrastructure such as irrigation and animal/deer fencing. We can subsidize any new equipment or customizations that may be required to fit with the dimensions of the solar array’s posts and panels.
Solar + Grazing
To accommodate livestock grazing, we can build projects with higher, stronger racking and include infrastructure such as fencing, access/loading areas, shelter and water supply as part of the solar array installation.
