Solar panels and pastures: Can dairy farms grow forage under agrivoltaics?

By Brad Heins and Sabrina Florentino, University of Minnesota

Solar energy is becoming more common across rural landscapes, but many dairy farmers have an important question: What happens to the land underneath the panels? For pasture-based dairy farms, the answer could be agrivoltaics. Agrivoltaics combines agricultural production and solar photovoltaic energy generation on the same acres. Instead of removing land from farming, the land can continue to produce forage while also producing renewable energy.

At the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, we evaluated whether common forage crops could grow underground-mounted solar panels and still provide a useful feed source for livestock. The study compared forage biomass and nutritive value under two solar array designs and a control pasture with no solar panels. The work was conducted on certified organic land and included forage species commonly used in dairy grazing systems.

The forages were planted in May 2022 under a 30-kilowatt solar site, a 50-kilowatt solar site and a control pasture without solar panels. The 30-kilowatt site consisted of two fixed solar arrays mounted 6 to 8 feet above the ground, high enough to allow dairy cows to graze underneath. The 50-kilowatt site was a flat-top solar array with more complete shade. The control site was an open pasture with no solar array. Forage crops included alfalfa, field peas, meadow fescue, orchardgrass, red clover, brown midrib sorghum-sudangrass, white clover and three grass-legume mixtures. The mixtures included meadow fescue and orchardgrass with either alfalfa, red clover or white clover. Biomass samples were clipped when forages reached appropriate maturity for grazing, dried and analyzed for nutritive value.

The 50-kilowatt (3,223 kg/ha) solar sites had less biomass compared with 30-kilowatt solar site (8,968 kg/ha) and the control pasture (9,987 kg/ha). This was likely because less solar radiation reached the plant canopy under the panels. Meadow fescue and orchardgrass, had higher biomass underneath solar panels and grass legume mixes had similar biomass amounts for the 30-kilowatt site compared with the control pasture. Alfalfa, red clover, and white clover were lower for the 50-kilowatt site compared with the control pasture.

However, forage quality told a different story. Average crude protein was highest in the 50-kilowatt site at 25.8% of dry matter, compared with 21.4% in the 30-kilowatt site and 20.9% in the control pasture. Total-tract neutral detergent fiber digestibility was also greatest in the 50-kilowatt site at 57.1%, compared with 52.5% for the 30-kilowatt site and 51.0% for the control pasture.

This means dairy farmers should think about both yield and quality when evaluating agrivoltaics. More shade may reduce the amount of forage produced, but the forage that does grow may be higher in crude protein and fiber digestibility. For grazing dairy cattle, forage quality is an important part of the system, especially when trying to maintain intake and milk production from pasture.

Dry matter concentration also differed among sites. The control pasture had the highest dry matter at 25.1%, followed by 16.8% for the 30-kilowatt site and 12.8% for the 50-kilowatt site. Lower dry matter under the panels may be related to reduced evapotranspiration and greater soil moisture retention in shaded areas. That could be helpful during dry periods, but it also means farmers may need to manage grazing timing carefully to avoid pugging or damage in wetter conditions.

Species selection mattered. Sorghum-sudangrass produced the greatest biomass across the sites, but it also requires more sunlight than cool-season perennial grasses. Under heavier shade, warm-season annuals may not be the best fit. Cool-season grasses such as meadow fescue and orchardgrass, along with legumes such as red clover and alfalfa, may be better options for agrivoltaic grazing systems.

Mineral content was also affected by the solar environment. Calcium was highest in the 50-kilowatt site at 1.05% of dry matter, compared with 0.75% in the 30-kilowatt site and 0.84% in the control pasture. Red clover and alfalfa were among the forages with higher calcium levels. These results show that solar array design can influence not just forage yield but also forage composition.

For dairy farmers, the practical takeaway is that solar panels and forage production can work together, but design matters. Panel height, spacing and orientation will influence how much light reaches the forage. Systems that create too much shade may limit forage production. Systems that allow more light penetration may better support pasture growth while still producing renewable energy.

The system is not without challenges. Farmers need to consider fencing, animal movement, water access, panel protection, forage species selection and grazing management. More research is also needed to understand long-term effects on soil moisture, forage persistence, animal behavior and milk production.

Bradley J. Heins is Extension Specialist, Dairy Management and Professor, Dairy Management West Central ROC | wcroc.cfans.umn.edu, University of Minnesota, 46352 State Hwy 329, Morris, MN 56267, hein0106@umn.edu | 320-589-1711, Ext. 2118. Sabrina Florentino is an Extension Educator, Alternative Livestock Systems, Regional Office Mankato, UM Extension,

1961 Premier Dr., STE 110, Mankato, MN 56001, slpflore@umn.edu, 612-626-9217

Posted: to Organic Production on Sun, Sep 6, 2026
Updated: Mon, Sep 7, 2026