Solar farms on cropland deliver energy, environmental, and health benefits all in one
A new report by Clean Wisconsin reveals that integrating solar energy projects into farmland significantly benefits the local environment and public health. Solar farms can replace traditional row crops such as corn and soybeans, which are known to cause topsoil loss and water pollution due to chemical runoff.
According to the Solar Farm Impact Analysis, converting conventional farmland into solar farms with deep-rooted, perennial vegetation can reduce sediment and phosphorus runoff into nearby rivers and lakes by 75% to 95%. This also improves water quality and prevents soil erosion.
Solar farms support soil health by increasing carbon sequestration by 65%. They also offer better habitats for pollinators, increasing habitat quality by 300%. With pollinators in decline, this improvement is critical for biodiversity.
“In Wisconsin, solar projects are being sited on agricultural land, which is attractive to developers as it is clear of trees and relatively flat,” said Clean Wisconsin Science Program Director Paul Mathewson. “Intensive annual row crop agriculture in Wisconsin is a primary contributor to topsoil loss and many of Wisconsin’s most pressing water quality problems, including contamination of drinking water from nitrates and pesticides and pollution of lakes and rivers from phosphorus and soil erosion. When this land use is replaced with a solar farm that maintains perennial grassland cover and requires no fertilizer additions, we can see a net increase in local environmental quality, which is what this report really highlights.”