Solar Synergies: Combining Renewable Energy and Pollinator Habitat in Florida

Marcelo Wallau, UF/IFAS Agronomy Department Forage Team,

Florida’s solar energy market continues to expand, with an estimated value of $16.3 billion, with billions more being invested annually, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association report. Finding ways to balance land use for energy production, agriculture, and conservation has become an important topic for our stakeholders. The construction of solar farms requires large amounts of land which often leads to conflicts for use with agricultural activities and natural habitats. To address these challenges, the “Solar Synergies” project, funded by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, explored the idea of agrivoltaics—an innovative approach that combines solar energy production with agricultural activities like grazing and enhancing pollinator habitat. 

Agrivoltaics aims to make efficient use of land while enhancing ecosystem services. By planting forages, wildflowers, and other low-maintenance vegetation under and around solar panels, solar farms can reduce the need for costly vegetation management, such as mowing and herbicide use. This not only cuts down maintenance expenses but also supports essential pollinator species, like bees and butterflies, which play a critical role in agricultural and ecological processes. Pollinator-friendly solar farms help conserve beneficial insects, which in turn support nearby crop production by enhancing pollination and providing natural pest control. 

However, “it is not always sunshine and roses“. Establishing those slow-growing legumes, forbs and wild-flowers in heavily altered ground is not easy. We faced several issues with weed encroachment, especially when weather conditions were not favorable and delayed germination and growth of target species. Forage legumes have the advantage of quicker establishment, but normally will have a shorter flowering season, and are more sensitive to environmental challenges. On the other hand, wildflowers seed frequently, have high dormancy and low vigor, along with slow establishment and low cover. The figure below demonstrates some of the forages and wildflower mixtures that had partial establishment success, and were attractive to various insect species.

 

–

The Solar Synergies project is also focused on sharing practical guidelines and insights for site managers and landowners interested in pollinator habitats in general. To help spread the knowledge, the project team has developed a series of online training videos, featuring various aspects of agrivoltaics, pollinator habitat enhancement, and vegetation management.  The training videos are available as part of a YouTube playlist. 

Rachel Balster – Solar Synergies: Merging Energy Production with Agricultural Practices and Habitat Conservation  — an overview of the solar synergies project, discussing strategies for integrating energy production, agricultural practices, and habitat conservation. 

Vilheim Piwowarek – Pollinator Enhancement  discusses the importance of pollinator enhancement on solar farms and the significant impact pollinators have on global food production. He presents his findings from the solar synergies project showing that cover crops, particularly buckwheat, attract high numbers of pollinators. 

Dr. Jaret Daniels – Wildflowers for Pollinators discusses the vital relationship between insects and wildflowers in Florida’s landscapes emphasizing wildflower ecological benefits in non-traditional areas like solar sites and roadsides to enhance biodiversity and support pollinators without sacrificing agricultural land.  

Dr. Liza Garcia  – Forage Mixtures in Florida: Enhancing Pollinator Habitat and Biodiversity presents findings from two key projects focusing on forage and animal performance and the importance of integrating legumes into forage systems to improve soil health, reduce fertilizer dependency, and enhance biodiversity. 

Dr. Isaac Esquivel – Beneficial Insects in Crops and Forages: Natural Enemies and Wild Bees discusses the role of wild pollinators in crop and forage systems and the importance of beneficial insects. 

Dr. Cheryl Mackowiak  – Benefits of Plant Diversity on Soil Health discusses the connection between plant diversity and soil health. 

Dr. Rachel Mallinger – Florida’s Native Pollinators  discusses the importance of native pollinators and their role in pollination and agriculture. Pollination is essential for fertilization and producing fruits and seeds in plants. While other animals can pollinate, bees are highlighted as the most effective.  

For more information, reach out to our team through forages@ifas.ufl.edu