AGRISOLAR

Agrisolar in New Mexico

Agrisolar is the co-location of solar power generation with agricultural production and land stewardship. With increasing need for renewable energy, sustainable food production and ecosystem conservation, agrisolar has the potential to meet all these objectives.

The term agrisolar encompasses a wide range of practices. So-called agrivoltaics combine solar with crop production, beekeeping, agroforestry, or grazing. Pollinator plantings and native habitat restoration is also included, typically under the label of conservation solar or ecovoltaics.

With an average of over 300 days of sunshine annually, New Mexico is a prime location for photovoltaic energy production. Unfortunately, current standard practices in solar development are detrimental to soil and ecosystem health. During construction, vegetation and top soil are usually scraped off, creating vast expanses of bare ground that are prone to wind and water erosion. Once denuded, vegetative ground cover is slow to come back in our arid environment and weeds take over. Maintenance often involves frequent mowing or herbicide use, which is harmful to soil life1.

In our fragile high desert ecosystems –with dwindling water supplies, intensifying drought conditions, and increasingly extreme weather events– a different approach is needed. Combining solar energy generation with agricultural production or restoration activities can preserve soil cover and lay the foundation for healthy and resilient ecosystems. As it turns out, this is good for solar arrays and surrounding communities, too!



Soil health is the foundation for sustainable agricultural use and resilient natural ecosystems alike. This is no different in the context of agrivoltaics, where the soil health principles inform design and management.

Soil Health Principles:
• Know your context
• Keep soil covered
• Minimize soil disturbance
• Maximize biodiversity
• Maintain living roots
• Integrate animals

Learn more about the soil health principles
Typical solar installation on an old farm field in New Mexico: Bare ground and chain link fence. Photo by I.Jenniches CC BY 4.0

Benefits of Agrisolar

Environmental and health benefits

Agrisolar systems are mutually beneficial to renewable energy production and the environment. 

As solar panels generate electricity, the shade they provide reduces heat stress on vegetation, livestock, and farm workers. Reduced evaporation and improved soil health helps infiltrate and store moisture in the land that would otherwise cause runoff and erosion –especially during the heavy but infrequent rainstorms that are common in New Mexico. Keeping the soil covered with vegetation or mulch greatly reduces airborne dust which not only impairs solar performance but degrades air quality in the area. Using targeted grazing to control vegetation reduces or eliminates the need for herbicide use and fossil-fuel powered equipment.
Sites that incorporate grazing or cropping can become local sources for fresh produce, meat, and dairy, providing an important resilience attribute to the local food system.

Economic benefits

Agrisolar presents new economic opportunities for farmers, ranchers and rural communities, while improving their resilience. 

Agrivoltaics bring economic benefits to the community well beyond the financial savings for individuals or subscribers of community solar. Local tax revenue increases to support important services. Land-owners receive lease payments while being able to continue to use the land for agricultural purposes. The second income stream can help keep an otherwise struggling farm in the family. Tending an agrivoltaics site may be an affordable option for farmers, especially beginning farmers, who have difficulty getting access to land.
For solar developers, agrisolar systems reduce long-term operational costs through sustainable land management. Some insurers recognize risk reduction because of regular human presence and monitoring on agrisolar sites. Relations in agricultural communities may be improved, resulting in acceptance of solar projects as they no longer compete with but enhance agrarian ways of life.

“Research has demonstrated the potential of agrivoltaics to conserve water2, increase crop yields, protect crops and livestock from extreme weather3, and increase farm incomes4.
These benefits are dependent on the climate, solar configuration and design, and crop or livestock selection. While more research is needed to optimize agrivoltaic systems for different agricultural activities in specific geographies, there are enough examples around the U.S. to create foundational guidelines for their design, construction practices, and long term operation.”
Land Use Code Guidance for Deploying Agrivoltaics in Colorado

Save the Farm, Save the Future
Compelling documentary showcasing on-the-ground projects in Colorado to demonstrate how agrivoltaics can mitigate the impacts of extreme weather and help farmers adapt to a changing climate –all the while saving farms from economic ruin.

Agrisolar offers a range of dual use opportunities

One of the six soil health principles is to know your context. This applies equally well to agrisolar projects: while some agrisolar knowledge and practice is universal, much of it is location-specific.

Depending on its context, a location may offer different opportunities for dual use. Prior land use, availability of water rights and existing infrastructure are major factors in choosing appropriate agrisolar strategies. Practices fall under the two overarching categories of agrivoltaics and ecovoltaics and range from intensively managed to largely hands-off.

The agrisolar approach is applied throughout the entire solar project lifecycle:

  • Pre-development site assessment
  • Design and engineering
  • Construction and implementation
  • Operations and maintenance
  • Monitoring and adaptive management
  • Decommissioning and site restoration
Agrivoltaics research at Rio Grande Community Farm in Los Ranchos, NM. Photo by I.Jenniches CC BY 4.0

Agrivoltaics preserve existing farmland while reaping the extra benefits of renewable energy production. The unique growing conditions created by partial shade from solar panels turn out to be beneficial in our high desert environment. Research at the Semi-Arid Lab for Scaling Agrivoltaics (SALSA) at the University of Arizona has shown that agrivoltaics not only improve crop yield in harsh conditions but also significantly boosts water use efficiency. Increased humidity and soil moisture as well as buffered day-and nighttime temperatures result in reduced plant stress and better efficiency of both crop production and solar electricity generation. Microenvironments under solar panels can also have a positive impact on pest pressures.

Solar cropping 

Irrigated crop production

In the precipitation-limited New Mexico context, many agricultural crops rely on irrigation. Cultivating irrigated crops within a solar farm requires several considerations: Soil preparation may involve initial tillage or subsoiling to address any compaction caused by panel installation, after which minimal disturbance should be practiced. To prepare agricultural fields and control weeds, the application of compost, cover cropping and mulching is recommended. If mechanized equipment is used, row spacing has to be wide enough for passage of a tractor with implements (minimum 15 ft), including headlands at the end of the rows to allow for turn around space. 

Crops that do well in an irrigated agrisolar setting:

  • Chile
  • Tomatoes
  • Greens (e.g. lettuce, kale, chard)
  • Culinary and medicinal herbs
  • Cane berries (e.g. raspberries)

Dryland cropping

Dryland farming techniques have been common practice for centuries in New Mexico, including the production of grains and forage crops. Today, dryland farming typically involves the use of mechanized equipment, requiring several adaptations to the photovoltaic design: row spacing has to be wide enough for passage of a tractor with implements or a combine (minimum 15 ft), including headlands at the end of the rows to allow for turn around space. Strategic planting on the drip edge of western facing panels can be employed to capture late summer monsoon rains that fall in the afternoon. 

Crops for non-irrigated agrisolar sites:

  • Small grains
  • Forage crops


Jack’s Solar Garden and the associated Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center in Boulder, CO. Jack’s Solar Garden is a 1.2 MW community solar farm with 3,276 panels that serves as a nationally recognized agrivoltaics showcase.

Agrivoltaics Proves Mutually Beneficial Across Food, Water, Energy Nexus, University of Arizona News, September 2019

Harvesting the Sunshine, Conserving the Rio Grande, Systems Research and Development Engineer Kenneth Armijo designed a flexible photovoltaic system to provide protective shade for crops while decreasing evaporation and conserving water in the Rio Grande valley.
¡COLORES! A Production of NMPBS, March 2026

95% of all agricultural land in New Mexico is rangeland, which makes it ever more important to explore the pairing of solar energy with livestock production. Adaptive grazing can be an effective tool to manage vegetation on solar sites –reducing maintenance costs while providing natural fertilization and improving soil health. The shade created by solar panels reduces heat stress in cattle, which can lead to increased weight gain and improved lactation rates for dairy cows. Dual income streams help stabilize ranch income while contract grazing provides access to additional forage without land ownership costs.

Solar grazing requires extra design considerations for safety and hardware protection: 

  • Livestock need access to water
  • Secure perimeter fencing with internal divisions to facilitate adaptive grazing;
  • Cables should be buried or protected aboveground;
  • Hardened areas around inverters, combiner boxes, and other sensitive equipment.

Solar grazing with small ruminants

Most solar grazing is done with sheep, due to their smaller size and docile nature. New Mexico was once home to a flourishing sheep industry, deeply embedded in local cultures –solar grazing might offer the opportunity for a come-back. Goats are less frequently employed for vegetation management on solar installations, but it is an option if animals are well trained and supervised.

Cattlevoltaics

With the vast majority of ranches in New Mexico raising beef, integrating cattle on solar sites represents an exciting opportunity. The animals’ size and propensity for using infrastructure as scratching posts pose special challenges, but these can be addressed with minimal site modifications (e.g. fencing off inverters and combiner boxes) and various panel configurations.

What is Adaptive Grazing?
Adaptive grazing (also called planned or mob grazing) imitates historical grazing patterns of herd animals. Livestock is moved quickly through pastures in a dense formation as if in response to predator pressure. Continuous observation and monitoring of available forage ensures adequate recovery time before the same area is grazed again.
Learn more

Solar grazing with goats
Galloping Goats: vegetation management with goats at CNM Central New Mexico Community College (Tiktok video)
Galloping Goats: solar grazing to reduce fire hazards, improve neighbor relations and panel efficiency (Tiktok video)

Cattlevoltaics
CattleTracker™ –Silicon Ranch’s patented system to incorporate cattle grazing on solar farms (Link)

Harnessing the power of cattle voltaics: Huwa Enterprises combines solar with cattle grazing, Center for Rural Affairs, July 2025 (Article)

Cattle Voltaics: Maximizing Land Use with Solar Cattle Grazing, Center for Rural Affairs (Fact sheet)

Habitat loss is a major cause for honey bee decline, also affecting other pollinators and many wildlife species. Planting pollinator habitat on solar farms presents an opportunity to support bees, wildlife, soil health and ecosystems at large.

Considerations for determining site suitability, seed mixes or transplant selection:

  • Previously cultivated farmland is most appropriate for establishing pollinator friendly vegetation. Native rangelands are less suitable but can be enhanced through interseeding.
  • Include pollinator plantings as early as possible in the project design and ensure proper long term vegetation management. Consider solar grazing as an alternative to mowing.
  • Mowing specifications, if necessary:
    • Blade height –Set the mower’s stubble height to at minimum 10’
    • Frequency –Mowing once a year is sufficient to manage vegetation while protecting soil health and preventing erosion.
    • Timing –Mowing late in the year (September through December) is preferred. Avoid mowing in the same month year after year to encourage biodiversity. Mow rotationally and selectively over multiple years.
  • Pollinator-focused hedgerows along outer perimeter fencing can be applied at any solar project, providing pollinator habitat and addressing potential view-shed concerns from residential neighbors.
  • Site preparation may include sub-soiling to address compaction and cover cropping to mitigate herbicide residues and weed competition on previously farmed land.
  • Plant selection: Choose locally adapted species that tolerate partial shading.
  • Match water requirements with onsite irrigation availability.
  • Panel height –the lowest panel edge dictates the maximum height of plantings to avoid shading solar arrays.
Can the final vegetative cover selected for a project really make a difference for beekeeping and beekeepers?
Absolutely! Research has documented that access to high-quality forage may be the single greatest factor that can build hive health, increase honey production, and help resist the negative impacts of varroa mites.

GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING POLLINATOR- FRIENDLY UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR PROJECTS
Photo by I.Jenniches CC BY 4.0
Leaving as much native vegetation in place as possible is essential for conservation solar projects. Photo by I.Jenniches CC BY 4.0

Many areas in New Mexico are too dry or sensitive to support solar cropping or grazing, but solar installations can still be designed intentionally to support native vegetation, create pollinator habitat, or reclaim sites heavily disturbed by prior uses.

Ecovoltaics –synonymous with conservation solar– incorporates enhancement of ecological functions and services and conservation based objectives into photovoltaic system design, construction, and long term management. Unlike current standard practices in solar development that may prioritize energy output at the expense of ecosystem health, ecovoltaics seeks to optimize both.

A solar farm is a novel ecosystem with myriad microclimates among its panels and racking infrastructure. Aiming to protect soil health in this new context, we still lack much of the knowledge and experience that underpins other restoration efforts.

In conservation solar, adapting methodologies that we routinely employ in familiar contexts (such as forests or farm fields) is paired with monitoring and observing the ecosystem’s succession over time. This iterative approach supports continuous learning and allows us to adjust techniques as needed.

Surveying

Soil physical, chemical, and biological parameters are collected and analyzed to establish the pre-construction baseline and post-construction conditions. These parameters are used to assess the site permeability for storm runoff permits and dust potential. A vegetation survey informs the revegetation plan, including species selection, seeding density, and long-term vegetation structure.

Retrofitting a site

Unfortunately, retrofitting a solar site that has been scraped clean of all vegetation is the most likely scenario we are faced with as this is currently the standard approach to site preparation. It leaves behind a moonscape of bare soil, sometimes topped off with a layer of gravel.

Seeding

Keeping the soil covered–the first soil health principle–is critical to shield against wind and water erosion and protect soil life. Growing vegetative cover is the best way to do this. Mulching can be a good transition strategy.

Initially seeding a mix of agronomic cover crop species combined with native early succession grass species that are readily available will prepare the ground for other plants over time. Pre-seeding may be considered and/or using a no-till seed drill if some vegetative cover is still present after installation and row spacing allows for it. Hydroseeding is a useful technique for re-establishing native grass cover in a retrofit setting.

As much as possible, align seeding with likely precipitation periods, both before snow events in the spring and/or late summer monsoon season. Added microbial inoculants during the seed drilling process encourages the establishment of beneficial soil biology to control erosion and soil loss. 

Over time, the site will transition to its own set of climax species for this specialized ecosystem.


A solar photovoltaic system’s infrastructure provides shade to vegetation, reducing heat stress in plants while retaining moisture in the soils for their roots and creating shelter and habitat for various animal species (e.g., insects, birds, mammals) underneath the solar panels and within the solar photovoltaic system’s perimeter fencing. 
The vegetative cover prevents topsoil loss and soil degradation while supporting the restoration of the land for future use. The deep roots of native vegetation encourage water infiltration and reduce runoff.
Beneath Solar Panels, the Seeds of Opportunity Sprout: Low-Impact Development of Solar Installations Could be Win-Win-Win for Food, Water, and Renewable Energy. National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Temporarily disturbed areas and any areas of bare ground should be re-vegetated with appropriate seed mixes identified for the site-specific area. […] The soil should be prepared as appropriate to the seed mix type and site conditions. A temporary cover-crop seed mix may be broadcast-seeded to provide temporary cover and reduce the potential for noxious weed invasion while native vegetation becomes established. […]
Seed mixes might also vary throughout an entire project site, with different mixes on the site perimeter, on the solar array perimeter, and underneath the solar arrays.
Solar Site Ground Cover Considerations to Protect Native Vegetation and Pollinator Habitat, InSPIRE Agrivoltaics Primer

Habitat loss is a major cause for native and honey bees’ decline, also affecting other pollinators and many wildlife species. Planting pollinator habitat on solar farms presents an opportunity to support insects, wildlife, soil health and ecosystems at large.

Considerations for determining site suitability, seed mixes or transplant selection:

  • Previously cultivated farmland is most appropriate for establishing pollinator friendly vegetation. Native rangelands are less suitable but can be enhanced through interseeding.
  • Include pollinator plantings as early as possible in the project design and ensure proper long term vegetation management. Consider solar grazing as an alternative to mowing.
  • Pollinator-focused hedgerows along outer perimeter fencing can be applied at any solar project, providing pollinator habitat and addressing potential view-shed concerns from residential neighbors.
  • Site preparation may include sub-soiling to address compaction and cover cropping to mitigate herbicide residues and weed competition on previously farmed land.
  • Plant selection: Choose locally adapted species that tolerate partial shading.
  • Match water requirements with onsite irrigation availability.
  • Panel height –the lowest panel edge dictates the maximum height of plantings to avoid shading solar arrays.
Benefits of Pollinator-Friendly Utility-Scale Solar include:
• Improved pollinator health and habitat
• Increased domestic honey production
• Increased carbon sequestration
• Improved soil health
• Reduced Stormwater Runoff
• Enhanced water quality
• Grassland songbird habitat and health benefits
• Reduced operation and maintenance costs of
the USS site
• Contributions to corporate sustainability goals and objectives
• Greater public acceptance of USS projects

GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING POLLINATOR- FRIENDLY UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR PROJECTS

As a rule we want to infiltrate all the precipitation that falls on the solar site to support below and above ground biology, leading to increased site stability. Any water that flows into the site from adjacent areas is also being considered. Solar panels create a unique challenge in that they concentrate precipitation along the drip edge, increasing erosive potential and runoff.

Rain Concentration Impact:

Soil health in conjunction with vegetative cover are core elements to increase water infiltration in the landscape. In addition, strategically placed erosion control structures can help in slowing, spreading, and infiltrating surface water. Borrowing from Low-Tech, Process-Basesd Restoration (LTPBR) techniques, conservation solar designs may include infiltration basins, rock structures or bioswales.

In this guide, we will discuss ways to regenerate soil so that it holds more water, supports more vegetation, and reduces soil erosion. In the end, soil conservation will reduce “non-point source pollution” in our surface watercourses. We will focus on affordable and replicable techniques based on natural processes and advocate the use of low-cost and locally available, natural materials.

An Introduction to Erosion Control, by Bill Zeedijk and Jan-Willem Jansens (PDF)

Community Solar and Agrisolar in New Mexico

NM Healthy Soil Working Group is collaborating with SunShare Community Solar, Rio Grande Return, Circle Two LLC and NMSU (Cropping Systems and Soil Management Research Group) to demonstrate agrivoltaic designs in New Mexico.

Signed into law in 2021, community solar offers a particularly exciting opportunity for agrivoltaics in New Mexico. Multiple solar developers have been awarded projects up to 5 megawatts each that are now accepting subscriptions.

One of those developers is SunShare Community Solar, founded in 2011 and based in Colorado. In addition to providing workforce development opportunities, lease payments to local landowners, and electric bill discounts to low-income subscribers, SunShare’s New Mexico projects will incorporate agrivoltaic design concepts. Spread out across the state, project sites are located in a variety of ecological and agronomical contexts, each requiring a different iterative approach. https://www.traditionrolex.com/14

Agrisolar on the NM Healthy Soil Blog

Citations:

  1. Köninger, J., Labouyrie, M., Ballabio, C. et al. Pesticide residues alter taxonomic and functional biodiversity in soils. Nature (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09991-z ↩︎
  2. Richard J. Randle Boggis et al. “Harvesting the sun twice: Energy, food, and water benefits from agrivoltaics in East Africa,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
    208, (February, 2025), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2024.115066 ↩︎
  3. Andreas H. Schweiger and Lisa Pataczek, “How to reconcile renewable energy and agricultural production in a drying world,” New Phytologist 5, no. 5 (April 21, 2023): 650 -661.https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10371;
    Anna Vaughan and Alan Brent, “Agrivoltaics for small ruminants: A review,” Small Ruminant Research 241, (December 2024), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2024.107393 ↩︎
  4. Ilena Peng, Michael Hirtzer, and Will Wade, “Solar panels help stabilize farm income,” Farm Progress, March 10, 2024 https://www.farmprogress.com/conservation-and-sustainability/solar-panels-help-stabilize-farm-income ↩︎

Press:

Solar farms can be havens for rare plants, Grist 01/29/2026

Can farmers coexist with solar development?, Farm Progress 01/15/2026

Under a Texas Sun, Agrivoltaics Offer Farmers a New Way to Make Money, The Washington Post, 09/24/2024

Tech Could Harmonize Solar, Farming, The Arizona Republic, 10/06/2024

Agrisolar partners: