The land use for solar farms has a nuanced impact on local agriculture, with both potential challenges and opportunities.
Extent of Agricultural Land Conversion
- Solar farms occupy a relatively small portion of agricultural land compared to the total farmland area. In 2020, only about 424,000 acres in the US were directly affected by solar and wind projects, which is less than 0.05% of the 897 million acres used for farmland.
- A USDA Economic Research Service study found that while wind turbines had less than 1% conversion of agricultural land near them to non-agricultural uses, solar farms had a somewhat higher impact, with about 15% of agricultural land near them being converted after installation.
- Despite this, the majority of agricultural land near renewable energy projects, including solar farms, has remained in agricultural use, which is positive for maintaining farming activities.
Co-Location Benefits (Agrivoltaics)
- It is possible to co-locate solar panels and agriculture on the same land, a practice known as agrivoltaics. This approach allows solar energy production while continuing farming activities beneath or around solar infrastructure, potentially benefiting both industries.
Economic and Land Value Impacts
- Contrary to some concerns, utility-scale solar farms do not appear to reduce agricultural land values or sales prices. Research from Georgia Tech indicates that solar farms do not adversely affect the market value of nearby agricultural land, which may alleviate local concerns about land devaluation due to solar development.
- Moreover, farmers may financially benefit by leasing land for solar projects while continuing to use surrounding land for agriculture, thus creating an additional income stream without fully losing farmland usage.
Summary
| Aspect | Impact on Local Agriculture |
|---|---|
| Land Conversion Rate | Solar farms convert ~15% of adjacent agricultural land to non-agricultural use; overall very small land footprint (<0.05%) nationwide |
| Agricultural Use Retention | Majority of agricultural land near solar farms remains in use for farming activities |
| Co-location Potential | Agrivoltaics enable simultaneous solar energy and crop/livestock production on the same land |
| Economic Impact | Solar farms do not reduce agricultural land values; can provide lease income to farmers |
In conclusion, while solar farms do convert some agricultural land to non-agricultural use, their total land footprint is minor relative to total farmland. Additionally, innovations like agrivoltaics and positive economic impacts suggest solar development can coexist with and sometimes even enhance local agricultural viability rather than detract from it.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-does-the-land-use-for-solar-farms-affect-local-agriculture/
