Description of Site Trials
- Grafton Vegetables: Research on this site includes agrivoltaic impacts on soil, microclimate, and agricultural yields for both butternut squash and lettuce crops.
- Monson Hay: Research on this site includes agrivoltaic impacts on soil, microclimate, and agricultural yields for hay production.
- Cranberry: Experiments on three cranberry sites include two cranberry varieties - "Stevens" and "Howes" - over four shading regimes.
- Hadley: Research on this site includes agrivoltaic impacts on soil, microclimate, and agricultural yields for broccoli, spinach, and sweet corn.
More information about the solar projects and agricultural activities can be found in the following table:
| Business and Farm | Agrivoltaic Array Technology | Commercial Operation Date
| Site Trial Activity | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar Developer | Project Location (MA Town) | Commodity(ies) | PV Capacity for Full Array | PV Technologies Used | ||
| BlueWave Solar, sold to AES | Grafton | Winter squash, lettuce | 0.33 MW DC | Fixed-Tilt (SE facing) + Bi-Facial Panels | April 2022 | Site trial monitoring 2023, 2024, 2025. |
| PineGate Renewables | Carver | Cranberry | 10 MW DC | Single-Axis Tracker; Battery Storage | TBD | Site trial monitoring 2024, 2025. |
| PineGate Renewables | Carver | Cranberry | 3.5 MW DC | Single-Axis Tracker; Battery Storage | TBD | Site trial monitoring 2024, 2025. |
| NextSun Energy, sold to Greenbacker Capital | Plympton | Cranberry | 6.2 MW DC | Single-Axis Tracker; Battery Storage | March 2025 | Site trial monitoring 2024, 2025. |
| Sun Bug | Monson | Hay | 250 kW | Fixed Tilt | September 2020 | Site trial monitoring 2023, 2024, 2025. |
| Hyperion Systems / Sunwealth | Hadley | Broccoli, Sweet Corn | 388 kW DC | Single-Axis Tracker, Battery Storage | June 2024 | Site trial monitoring 2024, 2025. |
Project Outcomes: Research Publications and Other Materials
Publications
Final Technical Report: Impacts of Dual-Use Solar (Agrivoltaics) on Crop Productivity and the Agricultural Economy in Massachusetts and Beyond (OSTI ID 3383409)
Priya, M., Sandler, H. A., Jeranyama, P., Nayyar, H., & Mupambi, G. (2025). Impact of shading following installation of agrivoltaic systems on eco-physiological and biochemical attributes of “Howes” cranberry in Massachusetts. Frontiers in Horticulture, 4, 1695943. (OSTI ID 3022891)
Priya, M., Sandler, H. A., Jeranyama, P., Nayyar, H., & Mupambi, G. (2026). Connecting Agriculture and Renewable Energy: Insights into Microclimatic Changes, Physiological, Biochemical, and Yield Responses under Agrivoltaics. A Review. Frontiers in Horticulture, 5, 1645374. (OSTI ID 3022892)
Fitzsimmons, J., Kim, T. (2024). Agrivoltaic Decision Tools for Perennial and Field Crop Farmers. Journal of Extension, Vol 62, Issue 3, Article 12. (OSTI ID 3022894)
First Report of Agrivoltaic Shading Effects on Yield and Fruit Quality in ‘Howes’ Cranberry (accepted pending revision, HortTechnology)
Tracking Solar Arrays Create Distinct Light and Thermal Microclimates in Agrivoltaic Systems (in preparation)
Hydrothermal and Canopy Wetness Dynamics in Agrivoltaic Systems (in preparation)
Agrivoltaic Vegetable Rotation: Crop Yield and Performance (in preparation)
Fitzsimmons, J.A., Valuing Agrivoltaics on Agricultural Land: Evidence from a National Discrete Choice Experiment on Food, Energy, and Development Tradeoffs (in preparation)
Other Materials
Conference Presentation: Hilary Sandler, Giverson Mupambi, Dwayne Breger and Samantha Glaze-Corcoran. Speculations on Weed Management and Herbicide Use under Agrivoltaic Panels in Cranberry Production. Weed Science Society of America, Arlington, VA, Jan 29-Feb 2, 2023. Presentation slides available here. (OSTI ID 3380401)
Conference Presentation: Jill Fitzsimmons, On-Farm Research of Innovative Practice: The Case of Agrivoltaics. Agriculture Food and Human Values Conference, Corvallis, OR, June 18-22, 2025. Presentation slides available here. (OSTI ID 3380421)
Conference Presentation: Jill Fitzsimmons, Valuing Agrivoltaics on Agricultural Land: Evidence from a National Discrete Choice Experiment on Food, Energy, and Development Tradeoffs. Selected presentation at Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting. Kansas City, KS, July 26-28, 2026. Presentation slides forthcoming.
Conference Presentation: Sam Glaze-Corcoran. Agrivoltaics Alter Microclimate and Crop Production in a Broccoli–Sweet Corn Rotation. To be presented at CANVAS conference: International Annual Meeting of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), Seattle, WA, November 1-4, 2026. Presentation slides forthcoming.
Information Sheet: Design and Construction of Removable Microclimate Sensor Mounts for Farm Research Sites
Information Sheet: First Year Preliminary Results: Butternut Squash and Lettuce - Grafton, MA
Information Sheet: First Year Preliminary Results: Broccoli - Hadley, MA
Jake Marley and Austin Hazlehurst, Hyperion Systems. Agrivoltaic Modeling Recommendations to NREL, March 2025
Julie Fine and Alissa White, American Farmland Trust. Impacts of Dual-Use Solar on Soil Health in Massachusetts, March 2026 (planned to be available at AFT's Farmland Information Center, farmlandinfo.org).
Impacts of Dual-Use Solar on Crop Productivity and the Agricultural Economy in Massachusetts and Beyond is a project supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the Solar Energy Technologies Office Award Number DE-EE0009374.