UNR extension educator outlines agrivoltaics as alternative to conventional solar

Misha Allen, an Extension educator with the University of Nevada, Reno, told the Lyon County Board of Commissioners on May 21 that agrivoltaics and “ecovoltaics” can allow solar energy production to coexist with farming and habitat goals.

“The elevated slightly elevated solar panels act kind of like a canopy — like a tree canopy — providing filtered shade and cooling soil temperature,” Allen said. She told the board that a cooler microclimate beneath panels can reduce irrigation needs, improve plant and livestock comfort, and in some cases help solar panels run more efficiently.

Allen described site visits in Arizona, California and Oregon where agrivoltaic projects support rooftop education gardens, irrigated orchards and grazing programs. She said one 550‑megawatt project in California dry‑farms forage and rotates grazing for some 6,000 sheep annually, and smaller sites have used grazing and targeted vegetation management as a fire‑mitigation tool.

“Those photos on the right looked more like progress,” Allen said of side‑by‑side images comparing conventional arrays to co‑productive systems. She said producers who lease land or co‑own systems can gain a supplemental revenue stream while retaining agricultural activity.

Commissioners focused their questions on irrigation, fire risk, equipment spacing and costs. Allen said drip irrigation is the most common approach where irrigation is used, while some sites successfully operate under dry‑farming regimes; she told the board that agrivoltaics may be particularly well suited to arid and semi‑arid areas because of the water‑saving potential. On fire risk, she recommended grazing (sheep/goats) and proactive vegetation management as mitigation tools.

When asked about costs, Allen said agrivoltaic structures often require more steel and pile‑driven foundations and that anecdotal construction premiums range widely; she offered to follow up with cost studies and research articles.

Why it matters: Lyon County commissioners said the county is seeing growing interest from developers in utility‑scale solar, and agrivoltaic or dual‑use models could preserve agricultural land and water rights while producing renewable energy. Allen noted there were no documented agrivoltaic sites in Nevada at the time of her presentation and offered to help coordinate additional local research and demonstrations.

What’s next: Allen invited local producers and advisory boards to request an agrivoltaics briefing for community groups or schools and offered to provide follow‑up research on construction cost differentials and irrigation strategies.