Photovoltaic panels occupy basic farmland

Are solar photovoltaic panels a viable alternative to farmlands?

Solar photovoltaic panels have also been deployed over deserts, abandoned mines ( 5 ), artificial canals ( 6 ), reservoirs ( 7 ), and rooftops ( 8 ), but these options are less attractive to developers because they are more scarce, more unstable, or more expensive than farmlands.

Are solar panels depleting farmlands?

Farmland preservation groups believe 83 percent of new solar installations will come from farm and ranch lands with half of these installations on the richest land for food and crops. Solar energy is depleting farmlands of their rich soils in the U.S. Midwest.

Will 10 million acres of solar farmland become solar farms?

There’s nothing you can do about it at this point.” The U.S. Department of Energy estimates the U.S. will need 10 million acres of solar panels by 2050 to meet the nation’s net zero-carbon goals. That means acreage currently used for farmland will become solar farms.

Do solar energy investors occupy farmland illegally?

However, solar energy investors and developers continue to occupy farmland illegally ( 10 ). Local authorities provide inadequate enforcement, allowing development to proceed at the expense of agriculture. Mitigating solar energy’s land competition will require technological innovation and more sustainable deployment strategies.

Are solar energy facilities displacing farmland?

Driven by subsidies, mandates and federal and state policies compelling the use of more renewable energy, solar energy facilities are now displacing farmland at an increasing rate.

Which type of land is suitable for solar PV installation?

These special types of land, often with harsh natural environment, low land utilization rate and abundant solar radiation, are more suitable for large area installation of PV facilities, with green energy to drive innovative applications and land transformation, to achieve simultaneous development of economic and ecological benefits.