Quick Talk with DOE: Exploring the Mutual Benefits of Cattle Agrivoltaics

With around one-third of U.S. land used for grazing cattle, cattle agrivoltaics—the co-location of photovoltaics and cattle grazing operations—could help preserve agricultural land, ease barriers to solar energy deployment, and generate additional income for landowners, farmers, and ranchers, all while helping decarbonize the energy grid. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office’s (SETO) Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Prize offers $8 million in cash prizes to teams of solar and agricultural experts working together to develop innovative co-location practices, build pilot sites, generate data, and share information, with the goal of exploring the mutual benefits of cattle agrivoltaics for agricultural communities and solar developers, alike.