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Project 3
Agrivoltaics GIS Suitability Analysis
2022
In the realm of renewables, solar energy is rapidly expanding, with more than 2,500 utility-scale projects in the United States alone today. The utility of these large scale operations can be increased by having livestock graze on the land, allowing it to serve dual purposes. While Washington State has been a vanguard in the decarbonization sector, the majority of its efforts have been focused on hydroelectric power thus far. Growth in solar energy and indeed, solar grazing could be a novel way to strengthen the state’s renewable energy efforts while providing livestock with healthy pasture.
The suitability analysis was conducted by reclassifying each layer and utilizing the raster calculator. The slope layer was mosaicked from USGS DEM tiles. When these four input layers were combined to form the final suitability analysis, it was clear that the flatter parts of Washington east of the Cascade Mountains, particularly in the Columbia Basin and Palouse region near the Idaho border, were optimal for solar grazing. In fact, this area is currently an agricultural powerhouse for the state and produces wheat, barley, and legumes, among other crops. They received lots of sunlight, were close to transmission lines, and contained appropriate vegetation. The results of this study demonstrate how solar grazing or agrivoltaic projects in this region – or converting existing operations to accommodate such initiatives – are a viable and potentially useful way for farmers to promote sustainability while generating additional revenue, without the need to fundamentally restructure present land use. These findings could also be useful for policymakers and utility companies in Washington as they find ways to adapt to rising energy demands and research renewable energy alternatives to hydroelectric or geothermal power.
Data sources: NatureServe, NREL, Oak Ridge National Lab, USGS, U.S. Census Bureau
Poster: Link