What is Agrivoltaics?

While the sight of solar arrays sprawled across open land has become increasingly familiar across the country, some passersby may be surprised to spot crops growing or sheep grazing between rows of panels.

This practice, known as agrivoltaics, combines solar energy generation and agricultural activities on the same piece of land. Agrivoltaics is becoming more common as farmers, solar developers, and landowners realize the opportunity to increase renewable energy production while supporting agricultural productivity, preserving land resources, and advancing regenerative farming practices. By harvesting from the land and the sun at the same time, agrivoltaics presents a unique opportunity for maximizing the benefits of both solar energy and farming.

As the practice has evolved over the last few decades, research into crop physiology, modeling, and solar panel optimization continues around the world, including here in Illinois.

One example of agrivoltaics in practice can be found in Pontiac, Illinois, where a 42-acre project called Walldog Solar combines solar generation with agricultural uses. The project supports a flock of 160 sheep that help control annual weeds, manage vegetation, and encourage land stability over time.

Meanwhile, Walldog Solar is estimated to produce approximately 10,000 MWh of energy annually, providing an estimated $107,000 in energy savings to its subscribers in its first year. Read more about the project and its solar journey here.

Walldog Solar is one of 175 Illinois Shines agrivoltaics projects that are either energized, under development, or in the program pipeline. As a state incentive program, Illinois Shines supports the development of both on-site solar and community solar projects, helping make solar more affordable across the state. 

Community solar is a competitive category within Illinois Shines that fills quickly. To allocate capacity when demand exceeds availability, Illinois Shines awards selection points to projects that meet other state policy goals — including agrivoltaics. By incorporating agrivoltaics as a criterion into project selection, Illinois Shines has supported 25 energized agrivoltaics projects with 150 additional projects in progress as of July 2026.

To learn more about agrivoltaics in Illinois and the Midwest, check out the IPA Power Hour webinar: How Can Solar Energy and Agriculture Work With Each Other?