The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced $5 million is now available for demonstration projects that co-locate solar siting and agricultural operations in New York State.

Through the Environmental Research Program, this funding will support researchers, solar developers, farmers, non-profit organizations, and local governments interested in demonstrating the use of the same land for renewable energy generation from solar panels and active farming, also known as agrivoltaics.

Through this $5 million competitive solicitation, NYSERDA is accepting proposals to support individual agrivoltaic projects integrating both new or retrofitted solar and farm operations such as those with cattle grazing, forage, or specialty crop production, with up to $750,000 per project.

Researchers, solar developers, farmers, non-profit organizations and local governments are eligible to submit proposals that include a solar site design, marketable agricultural commodity, estimates of expected agricultural production and solar generation. Applications will be accepted through 3 p.m. on Sept. 12.

NYSERDA and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) worked in close collaboration to develop this solicitation and will study the results of the participating projects.

Data collected from selected projects will be shared with farmers, solar developers and other stakeholders so that successful projects could be replicated elsewhere in New York State.

Projects selected will also be required to share data on costs, benefits, and lessons learned, in addition to hosting educational events open to the public to raise awareness of how to design and operate solar sites that integrate agricultural production.