Science Friday The Growing Experiment Of Putting Solar Panels On Farmland
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Feb 3, 2026 Dr. Madhu Khanna, an environmental economics professor studying agrivoltaics and land-use tradeoffs. Jana Rose Schleiss, a Midwest reporter who documents farming and solar experiments. They discuss growing crops beneath solar panels, small-farm wins like shaded produce and sheep grazing, technical hurdles for commodity crops, design tradeoffs for climate resilience, and community and economic tensions around farmland conversion.
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Sheep Fit Solar Arrays Naturally
- Sheep grazing is the most common and easily integrated agrivoltaic practice with typical solar arrays.
- Sheep fit panel heights, eat grass, and avoid damaging infrastructure unlike goats.
Farmer Linda's Shade Experiment
- Linda Hetzel grows herbs and produce under a ground-mounted solar array to sell to Kansas City restaurants.
- She started after noticing that shade reduced heat stress and wilting during hot summers.
Big Gains In Arid Climates
- Agrivoltaics shows clear benefits in arid and semi-arid regions by reducing evaporation and irrigation needs.
- Panels can preserve soil moisture and improve produce quality in dry climates like Arizona and Colorado.