My understanding is society only has two# things: we have our people, and we have## our land.

When we develop solar arrays, we need# to keep our land functional because that’s part## of our society.

Traditional solar installations,# the land is a detriment because it potentially## can grow vegetation that might shade the# solar panels, and if it shades the panels,## then that’s less electricity it produces.

So they# hire people to go in and mow it or spray that land## and keep that land degraded over time.

A different# way of doing it is by elevating the panels so that## you can have solar above agriculture.

Agrivoltaics# is agriculture and photovoltaics smashed together## to make agrivoltaics.

The solar panels# provide that shade, that microclimate,## for crops to be able to grow in, and it# makes it easier for people to be within that## space or for tractors to be within that space.# Agrivoltaics has so many wins involved with it.

We are seeing a mutually beneficial relationship# between the solar panels and the vegetation.

As## temperatures get too hot, many plants shut down# their photosynthetic activities throughout the## middle part of the day.

The partial shade from# the panels allows that photosynthesis to continue## occurring throughout the growing day.

The plants# actually create a cooler microclimate underneath## the panels.

That cooler microclimate creates# higher efficiencies and higher output.

The cooler## conditions underneath the panels lead to less# evaporation of water from the soil.

That allows## us to reduce the amount of supplemental water we# give for irrigation, which in some cases could## be half as much water to achieve the same yields.# So what this means is that instead of vegetation## serving as a barrier to solar development,# it actually can lead to lower O&M costs for## managing as well as higher panel efficiencies,# leading to more clean energy production.

Jack’s Solar Garden is the largest commercial# research site for agrivoltaics in the US.## 3,276 panels producing enough clean# energy for about 300 homes in our area.

We’re growing at least 15 different varieties# of crops- everything from salad greens to## cooking greens to root veggies.

We were really# excited to make use of the space under the solar## panels because it has historically just been# sitting there unused and to be able to work## in the shade in the middle of the day.

I think# that that could have really long-term benefits## for farmworker health.

We feel like there’s so# many benefits: reduced water, the plants will## do better because of the microclimate created by# the panels, the farmers have a better time because## they’re not on the sun all day, that we’re using# the land for food production instead of it just## sitting there vacant, and it’ll all be funneled# back to the local community, including donations## to food pantries, CSA programs, and also some# farmers markets.

It might be win, win, win.

We want to show our community that there’s a# different way that we can have solar energy## being produced across our country, that it# doesn’t have to be how it’s always been.

The potential is boundless.

Everywhere people# live, they need energy, and they need food.

The insights we’re gaining here# will inform development not only## in Colorado but also throughout the# country and throughout the world.

We need bigger change, and we# need it from our policymakers,## we need it from the solar developers,# we need it from landowners.