Solar industry research has found that adjustable-tilt solar panels above a vineyard reduced heat stress on the crop by providing shade, protected plants against late frost by holding in more nighttime heat and reduced irrigation requirements by minimizing evaporation. . Cornell graduate student Dana Russell plants strawberries at a commercial solar farm in Ravena, New York. It is one of the active agrivoltaic research projects – the idea of growing crops while harnessing the sun's energy – around the state. This is Part 3 in a five-part multimedia feature. . The Department of Energy estimates we need more than 10 million acres to scale up solar energy by 2050, and AFT projects over 80% could be sited on agricultural lands. This growth will create opportunities, but it also threatens farmland, and the conflict between using land to grow food and using. .
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