Byron Kominek owns a farm, now known as Jack’s Solar Garden, just outside Boulder, Colorado. It is located in Longmont, Colorado. It is one of the most successful agrivoltaic farms in the nation.
However, the 24 acres were only sometimes productive.
Over the past 50 years, the farm mainly produced hay. It has undergone a significant transformation, significantly increasing its energy and crop production. As a result, it has seen an increase in its profits.
It now has a solar farm with 3,200 panels mounted on eight-foot-high posts. Jack’s solar farm is one of only 12 in the country.
HOW KOMINEK TRANSFORMED HIS FARM INSIDE A SOLAR GARDEN
It took a while to transform the Kominek family farm into Jack’s Solar Garden.
Boulder County regulators could not approve the solar garden project because Kominek’s land was technically historic farmland. Kominek was eventually approved and received $2 million from Boulder County to build the agrivoltaic garden.
Kominek knew that the county had set a goal of moving toward 100% Renewable Energy. He hoped the city would partner with him to make his land more profitable and to provide electricity to the city.
Researchers from Colorado State University, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), came together to assist. Their current programs are focused on converting unused land under solar panels into productive areas. The venture achieved both Kominek’s and the county’s goals.
The local grid receives 1.2 megawatts (MW) of solar power from the farm.
HOW THE SOLAR GARDEN WORKS
Kominek ensured enough space between rows of panels for his tractor to pass and tend to the crops below.
Agrivoltaic agriculture has the advantage of growing crops quickly. The panels provide shade, which helps to regulate the temperature below. The panels block the sun’s most damaging UV rays at peak hours. They allow sunlight to pass through the sides of the panels during sunrises and sunsets.
Intermittent shading reduces excessive evaporation caused by intense heat. The plants can stay hydrated for more extended periods without the need for constant watering. The gradual evaporation also increases the solar panels’ efficiency.
The farm currently grows peppers, squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, and beets. It also produces carrots, turnips, turnips, and other lettuce varieties. The farm still harvests large quantities of chard, kale even in November.
Jack’s Solar Garden is responsible for sending power to the community. It connects the arrays with nearby inverters that are located off the county highway. solar power is then transferred to the Xcel Energy grid, the local utility. This distributes enough energy to power 300 homes each year. Kominek plans to donate surplus crops to local families and also power their homes with solar.
THE FUTURE OF AGRIVOLTAIC SOLAR GARDENS
Tensions are high on long-standing family farms in the U.S., and President Biden’s new infrastructure bill has close to $2B devoted to Renewable Energy. This allows both farmers and clean energy developers to work together.
Solar panels are a popular option for older farmers. Solar panels can improve crop growth, save water, and produce more energy than a farm needs.
The NREL estimates that solar farms could be built on more than 2,000,000 acres of American farmland within the next decade.
The University of Arizona’s Professor Greg Barron-Gafford is an expert. He explained that “[w]ater” is why we need to have big arguments about where our food will come from in the future.
Barron-Gafford’s research showed that plants grown in Arizona deserts under solar panels required 50% less water.
Barron-Gafford said, “If you want to build infrastructure that isn’t going to compete against food and could actually use our diminishing resources in terms water in an efficient way, then this is something to consider.”
Others have also highlighted the need for federal incentives to be available to farmers to add solar panels to their farms. Agrivoltaics would thrive if there were local rebates and incentives as well as a section of the Renewable Energy Infrastructure Bill devoted to new solar projects.
We have Jack’s Solar Garden as an example.