Agrivoltaic Research & Demonstration Projects in New York State

New York State is at the forefront of agrivoltaic innovation. Through NYSERDA's competitively selected research and demonstration process, four active projects across the state are generating real-world data on the integration of solar energy with working agricultural operations—from dairy cattle grazing to hay production to specialty crop farming.

What Are Agrivoltaic Demonstration Projects?

Agrivoltaic demonstration projects are real-world installations that test and document how solar energy systems and agricultural operations can function together on the same land. Unlike highly controlled research at agricultural experiment stations, demonstration projects operate under actual farming and energy production conditions, generating data on both agricultural outcomes—crop yields, livestock health, soil conditions—and solar energy performance.

Scoring Criteria

NYSERDA selected four projects through a competitive Request for Proposals process, using the following scoring criteria categories:

• Soundness of agrivoltaic design and implementation
• Value to NY as a demonstration project
• Project management plan and qualifications
• Cost
• Communications and outreach

Each project is required to share data on agricultural production and solar generation, and to conduct annual farm tours to support public outreach and peer learning.

Research Coordination: Cornell University

NYSERDA competitively selected a multidisciplinary research team from Cornell University to oversee data collection and coordinate learning across all four agrivoltaic demonstration sites. Building on the Farmers Datalab model, Cornell will develop an open-access data collection and sharing portal for the research and demonstration projects, as well as a public-facing website with preliminary tools and lessons learned for farmers and developers exploring agrivoltaic opportunities at other sites.

What the Research Will Measure

Across all four projects, the Cornell team and project partners will:

• Assess solar array design impacts—evaluating how panel tilt, orientation, spacing, and height affect energy yield, site conditions, and farmer experience
• Compare agrivoltaic and conventional production—documenting differences in soil health, crop and livestock yields, quality, inputs, outputs, and economic performance
• Evaluate community impacts—understanding the social and economic effects of agrivoltaic projects on participating farmers and surrounding communities
• Enable replication and scaling—identifying how project findings can be applied or adapted in other New York contexts
• Share findings broadly—regularly communicating lessons learned to farmers, developers, policymakers, and communities across the state

Why This Research Matters for New York

Agrivoltaic demonstration projects provide the lessons and evidence to determine how solar expansion on agricultural land can best be done in ways that preserve and potentially enhance farm productivity, support rural economies, and build trust with farming communities. The data generated by NYSERDA's funded projects will help farmers, developers, and policymakers make informed decisions about agrivoltaic development across New York State.