Supporting Expansion of Agrivoltaics Using Smart Solar Principles: Training for Agriculture Professionals and Educators in North and Central Texas

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In Texas, agriculture is more than an industry, it’s a way of life. And in recent years, the state has become a national leader in solar energy development, with one million acres of land expected to be utilized for solar by 2040.

The proposed project will advance the capacity of at least 30 agricultural and conservation professionals (5 of which work directly with historically underserved producers) to support Texas farmers and ranchers as they evaluate growing opportunities in agrivoltaics—the intentional combination of agriculture and solar energy development on the same piece of land. By collaborating with the American Solar Grazing Association, rancher and agrivoltaics pioneer JR Howard, and others, AFT is assembling a team with industry-leading experience in dual-use solar and agricultural education.

Agriculture and conservation professionals will be recruited throughout North and Central Texas. Outreach will occur directly through in-person events and digital mediums, including outreach with Farm Bureau, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Prairie View A&M Extension, NRCS, and other conservation organizations, such as land trusts and water districts. Once project trainees are identified, an education plan combining in-person learning sessions, visits to agrivoltaic sites, and virtual trainings will be implemented to reach the target audience, agriculture and conservation trainers that work directly with farmers and ranchers.

Project impact will be evaluated through pre- and post-training surveys that will identify new skills and knowledge learned by trainees, including steps they have taken (or plan to take) to educate farmers, ranchers, and landowners about opportunities in agrivoltaics.

The project’s long-term goal is to increase implementation of agrivoltaics on solar installations in Texas and therefor reducing the loss of natural resources and agricultural productivity as a result of solar energy expansion leading to more resilient rural communities. The project’s objective is to train agriculture and conservation professionals with the knowledge and materials necessary to assist and support farmers in pursuing agrivoltaics opportunities.

This will be achieved by developing and providing an agrivoltaics train-the-trainer program for North and Central Texas that includes curriculum, educational materials, trainings (both virtual and in-person), and site visits to operating agrivoltaics projects.  The trainings will be focused on integrating agrivoltaics into existing utility scale solar installations and expanding soil health practices particularly vegetation management with sheep grazing, with a particular focus on reaching underserved farmers and ranchers. With Texas already the largest sheep producing state, an important objective of this project is to tap into the diverse, growing, and well-informed network of solar sheep experts, landowners, and grazing enterprises. Incorporating these experts into our planning and trainings, we will facilitate a stronger and more supportive network for service providers and therefore farmers and ranchers that are prepared to pursue agrivoltaics and sheep grazing enterprises.

Specific project goals include:

• Establish an advisory group (8-10 people) to help guide the project, specifically:
  • Agrivoltaics expert
  • Solar grazing business owner
  • Texas Farmer
  • Extension specialist
  • Underserved producer outreach specialist
  • Water district expert
  • Land conservation expert
• Develop and provide training for agriculture and conservation professionals and educators on topics including:
  • Impact of Solar Energy on Texas Agricultural Land: Highlight the rapid expansion of solar installations, differences in scales, and effects on agricultural land use in Texas. This will include opportunities and challenges associated with each scale of development and introduce AFT’s Smart Solar initiative which aims to guide solar development to where it has the least negative impact on land well suited for farming, ensures that agricultural land where projects are sited can be farmed in the future, and promotes agrivoltaics solar projects to create opportunities for both farming and solar energy on the same land.
  • Utility Scale Solar 101: Focus on utility-scale solar development, covering how projects are planned, developed, and operated. Additionally, cover common configurations and technology, key considerations from a landowner/farmer perspective, including lease agreements, best practices, and revenue opportunities.
  • Agrivoltaics: Provide an overview of agrivoltaics, a dual-use approach that combines solar energy generation with agricultural production on the same land. Focus on the benefits and challenges of integrating sheep grazing into existing utility scale solar installations, key considerations, financing, and available resources. Introduce other types of agrivoltaics that exist in Texas, such as vineyards.
  • Business Development Planning: Present approach to developing agrivoltaics farm plans, or vegetation management services to go with solar designs.
  • Underserved Producers: Engage with educators and advisors who work with underserved producers to understand key barriers they face and explore economic opportunities available through agrivoltaics.
• Train 25 agriculture and conservation professionals in North and Central Texas. Project team working with collaborators will identify potential participants, select a cohort, and educate and train them to assist agricultural producers and landowners and other agricultural advisors on opportunities and challenges of pursuing agrivoltaics by:
  • Increasing their understanding of the challenges of utility scale solar as well as the opportunities that exist to maintain agricultural productivity through agrivoltaics.
  • Building knowledge and skills to increase their confidence and ability to assist landowners in navigating solar energy development on their land; and
  • Increase their confidence and ability to assist owner-operators, tenant farmers, new and beginning farmers, and other historically underserved farmers and ranchers in pursuing agrivoltaics opportunities that increase their economic opportunities through business development planning.
• Identify organizations that specialize in outreach to and engagement of historically underserved producers and train 5 of their advisors, building capacity to provide education and training on the opportunities available through agrivoltaics to historically underserved producers.
• Raise knowledge of agrivoltaics broadly among agriculture and conservation professionals and educators in North and Central Texas, and by extension farmers and ranchers, through the development of support materials, webinars, and other outreach.
  • Make these resources available to agriculture and conservation professionals through AFT’s website and Farmland Information Center, online platform supporting outreach, education and assistance to farmers and ranchers interested in solar energy and agrivoltaics.