MSU Study Finds Crops and Solar Can Coexist

By Andi Anderson

A new study from Michigan State University (MSU) shows farmers don’t need to choose between crops and solar panels.

Instead, they can benefit from using both together through a method called colocation—strategically placing solar arrays on less productive farmland while continuing to grow crops.

Jake Stid, a graduate student in MSU’s College of Natural Science, led the research using aerial images and data from California, a state known for both top agricultural output and solar energy use.

His findings, published in Nature Sustainability, reveal that farmers who installed solar panels on just part of their land were more financially secure than those who relied only on crops or only on solar farms.

“The conversation shouldn’t be as much about solar or agriculture, but solar and agriculture,” said Stid. “They can work together, and it can be a collaboration rather than a conflict.”

Stid’s research team compared farms that used solar alongside crops to those that used entire fields for either one. They found that farmers with mixed land use saved on water, fertilizer, and inputs, while gaining steady income from selling solar energy back to the grid. These farmers had fewer concerns about unstable yields due to weather changes, making their operations more resilient.

The study calculated that solar panels currently take up land that could feed 86,000 people. However, when placed strategically, solar can support sustainability without reducing food supply.

As climate change pressures food, water, and energy systems, Stid hopes his research encourages smarter planning. He and his advisor, Anthony Kendall, are now exploring how solar impacts landscapes across the U.S.

Their goal is to help farmers build stronger, more adaptable systems by integrating clean energy with food production.

Photo Credit: michigan-state-university-msu