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In order to meet global energy demands with clean renewable energy,  large surface areas are needed because of the relatively diffuse nature of solar energy. Food production demand and energy demand are both growing and vie for the limited land resources. A vacuum is created and can be filled by Agrivoltaics. Agrivoltaics co-develops the same area of land for both a solar PV power station and for conventional agriculture, including grazing area for small megafauna. The Agrivoltaics economics for farmer partners are compelling: 58% of farmers reported being offered annual payments of $1,000 or more per acre to lease their land for solar projects, compared to the average annual cash rent for farmland in Georgia in 2024 of $153 per acre.

It has become obvious that Agrivoltaics can produce abundant energy. As mentioned in this site's Microgrid page, Agrivoltaics can be to rural areas as Microgrids to urban areas. And the Southeast opportunity is real — agrivoltaics introduces a steady, predictable income stream that can help keep land in agriculture instead of forcing sales to developers, enable younger farmers to take over aging family farms, and offer a way to diversify income without requiring farmers to abandon what they already do well. No competitor in Georgia or the Carolinas is combining rural data center siting + agrivoltaics + independent farmer partnerships into a single offering. This is a genuine win-win-win positioning.

As reported by Kleinman Energy, agricultural land is well-suited for solar projects because it is often relatively flat, cleared of trees, exposed to the sun, and held in large parcel sizes. The U.S. Department of Energy has projected that utilityscale solar projects may provide as much as 45% of U.S. electricity by 2050, up from just 4% today. This growth in solar electricity will require as many as 10 million acres of land (U.S. DOE 2021). So far, agricultural land has been the site of about 83 percent of utilityscale solar development (Sorensen et al. 2022).

Agrivoltaics projects emit less greenhouse gases than separate solar projects and sheep grazing (Handler and Pearce 2022). Vegetation maintenance is important for solar production and grazing livestock, especially sheep, can reduce or eliminate the need for mowing beneath and between the solar panels. Less mowing decreases greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs. The grasses planted for livestock become a source of nutrition and can improve soil quality and control erosion. Manure from livestock fertilizes the soil. Although livestock are a source of enteric methane, a potent greenhouse gas, sheep raised in an agrivoltaic project produce roughly 25% less greenhouse gas emissions than conventionally grazed sheep. This reduction is due in part because the agrivoltaic sheep do not eat corn and soybean feed and herbicide use is lower or avoided altogether (Handler and Pearce 2022).

In addition, the solar panels provide shade for the grazing sheep, which can help regulate their internal temperature and potentially reduce their water needs. Also, the crops and grass under the solar panels keep the panels cooler, helping maintain the efficiency of the panels in turning sunlight into electricity. Pollinator habitat under solar panels fosters biodiversity as well as enabling pollinators to fertilize nearby crops.

Just 2% of agricultural land could produce as much as 45% of the energy used in the United States. When considering the benefits from Agrivoltaics, and 67% of agricultural land is used to grow transgenic crops that are sprayed with RoundUp multiple times, then mostly fed to animals eaten by prople. This spraying, not just harmful to those that eat the animals, but changes the Rhizoidal nature of the soil. Glyphosate can destroy or inhibit beneficial microorganisms in the soil. Specifically, it has been shown to be toxic to rhizobia, the essential bacteria responsible for nitrogen fixation in the soil.

Based on market research and search trend analysis, these are the questions People Also Ask:

1. Why are cities banning data centers?

• Cities often oppose data centers due to intense strain on local infrastructure, specifically the massive consumption of water for cooling and electricity for operations.
  

   2. What is agrivoltaics and how does it work?

• Agrivoltaics is the co-location of solar photovoltaic panels and agriculture on the same land, allowing for dual-use functionality—generating renewable energy while simultaneously farming crops or grazing livestock.

   3. Can solar energy reliably power a data center?

• Yes. Solar DC Power recommends Storage Batteries in a solar system, and for back-up, on-site energy generation, Bloome's scalable NG modular fuel cells. Each data center analytics would determine final energy configuration.

   4. How much can a farmer earn from a solar lease in Georgia?

• According to the Ag Economy Barometer, a survey by Purdue University and CME Group, 58% of farmers reported being offered annual payments of $1,000 or more per acre to lease their land for solar projects. In comparison, the average annual cash rent for farmland in Georgia in 2024 is $153 per acre. Since small family farms are more likely to face higher risk of financial instability, incorporating agrivoltaics can provide a more reliable, year-round income stream than traditional farmland alone. 

  5. What is the difference between a solar farm and an agrivoltaic farm?

• A solar farm generates electricity using ground-mounted panels, typically keeping the land clear of vegetation for maintenance. An agrivoltaic farm, or "agrisolar," intentionally co-locates solar panels with agricultural production (crops, livestock, or pollinator habitats), using elevated panels to allow farming underneath, boosting land efficiency and panel cooling.

  6. Are rural data centers better for communities than urban ones?

• In addition to providing substantial tax revenue that can fund local services, construction of data centers can lead to improved broadband, fiber connectivity, and power infrastructure, potentially benefiting the broader community.

  7. How do agrivoltaic solar panels affect crops and livestock?

• Agrivoltaic solar panels boost crop yields and water efficiency by creating cooler, shaded microclimates that reduce plant heat stress and soil moisture evaporation. Livestock, particularly sheep, thrive by grazing on vegetation beneath panels, which provide shade and shelter while reducing maintenance costs for operators.

  8. What are the environmental benefits of rural solar data centers?

• Rural solar data centers offer significant environmental benefits by combining renewable energy generation with sustainable technology, reducing the carbon footprint of the rapidly growing digital infrastructure sector. By co-locating farming and energy generation, Agrivoltaics. electricity will be less expensive and save centers millions of dollar orver each decade. Decentralizing energy will bring a level of security hereto unknown. However, if data centers chose to use grid electricty, they will impose an enormous burden on the comunity, whether rural or urban. Under this scenario, there will be stiff opposition to acceptance into the community.

  9. How long does it take to build a solar-powered data center?

• It takes 3 to 5 years to build, assuming average weather prior to being Dried-in.  Construction of on-site energy generation and water cooling infrastructure can be finished in less than 1-year.