Rutgers agrivoltaics trials show potential; BPU dual‑use pilot applications open
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Summary
Rutgers researchers presented two years of agrivoltaics trials funded by a $2.9 million state appropriation, reporting promising early results and cooperation with the Board of Public Utilities' dual‑use solar pilot.
Rutgers University researchers told the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee the state's agrivoltaics trials demonstrate promising possibilities for co‑locating solar arrays and agricultural production.
David Speck, lead of the Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program, said the research team used a $2,900,000 state appropriation to build experimental stations that have run for two years and produced encouraging crop and solar‑performance data. The trials use elevated and more widely spaced arrays designed to reduce persistent shading and support typical farm operations beneath panels.
"This technology…allows the systems to be mounted higher, further apart, and also that the shadows underneath of them move more uniformly across the field," Speck said, summarizing design advantages for northeastern climate conditions.
Rutgers will also work with the Board of Public Utilities as BPU opens its dual‑use solar pilot application window; Speck said Rutgers will assist evaluations and collect on‑farm performance and farmer experience should pilots be deployed beyond research plots. He warned agrivoltaics is not yet allowed on preserved farmland under current Farmland Preservation Program rules but said the research aim is to provide state‑specific evidence that could inform future policy changes.
Committee members asked about water runoff, crop suitability and animal grazing; Speck said soil scientists on the project are evaluating runoff and that forage/hay and soybeans currently look promising while vegetable performance remains under study. No formal policy vote occurred; committee members signaled interest in field visits to Rutgers demonstration sites.
