"It was not just to prove it to ourselves — I knew it could be done in an existing solar facility," Bradley said.
"But we had to prove to the asset owner, to the insurance company, even to investors that are looking at this and show this is a part of the solution."
Sun Cycle Farms is an agrivoltaics company, part of a rapidly expanding field that aims to combine solar energy production with agricultural activities.
Across North America, solar farm owners are increasingly deploying sheep and even pigs at their sites to keep the weeds down and reduce the need for mowing around the panels.
Researchers around the world are also looking into what types of crops can be grown in and around solar panels.
Contrary to what you might expect, many crops actually perform better when shaded by a massive solar panel than they do under direct sunlight, said Joshua Pearce, a solar energy expert at Western University.
"Most crops that we have grown outdoors normally actually get a little bit too much sun," Pearce said.
"Underneath the solar panel, or next to it, you have almost like a protected micro-environment. There's not as much wind, you don't have to worry about hail, it even helps to preserve the water in the soil a little more."
Land use issues were less pressing when solar energy was in its infancy a couple of decades ago because the fledgling industry was so small.
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