Upwith the Sun: Solar Energy and Agriculture

The document describes how solar energy can be integrated into farming through solar lighting, heating, photovoltaic (PV) electricity, crop drying, and solar greenhouses. It highlights that solar energy is a practical alternative to fossil fuels and grid electricity, particularly for remote operations, and provides specific examples of cost savings and reliability improvements in livestock and crop production.

• Solar energy can be applied to farm buildings through passive designs or active heating systems to reduce fuel costs, and through the use of skylights to replace electric lighting in dairy operations.
• Photovoltaic (PV) panels are often more economical than extending electric lines to remote locations, sometimes becoming the cheaper option at distances as short as 50 feet. While currently too expensive for most crop irrigation, they are cost-effective for small irrigation systems, pond aeration, and remote livestock water supply.
• Solar drying equipment allows crops to dry faster and more evenly than field drying while protecting them from pests and weather. A specific example in Switzerland showed that a solar collector on a hay barn eliminated the need for oil or electric heaters, saving $4,100 per year in energy and maintenance costs.
• Solar greenhouses use insulation and south-facing orientations to store heat, reducing reliance on gas or oil. At the Badgersett Research Farm in Canton, Minnesota, an earth-sheltered solar greenhouse costing $5,600 is expected to pay for itself in 10 years and provides greater security against crop loss from heating failures compared to traditional greenhouses.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (n.d.). Upwith the Sun: Solar Energy and Agriculture. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/agfs_solar_2003.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Upwith the Sun: Solar Energy and Agriculture. n.d. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/agfs_solar_2003.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Upwith the Sun: Solar Energy and Agriculture |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/agfs_solar_2003.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientistsndupwith, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Upwith the Sun: Solar Energy and Agriculture}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/agfs_solar_2003.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }