Dr. Madhu Khanna on Science Friday

Dr. Madhu Khanna, Professor of Environmental Economics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a lead investigator on the SCAPES project, discussed how agrivoltaics can help farmers, energy developers, and communities work together to produce both food and clean energy on the same land.

Rethinking Land Use Through Agrivoltaics

Agrivoltaics—the integration of solar panels with agricultural production—offers a way to reduce competition between farmland and renewable energy development. Rather than converting productive land entirely to solar use, agrivoltaic systems allow crops, grazing, and energy generation to coexist.

Dr. Khanna emphasized that this approach is not simply about placing solar panels in fields. It requires reimagining how landscapes are designed and managed to meet multiple needs at once: food production, energy generation, climate resilience, and rural economic vitality.

“Instead of focusing on either agriculture or solar energy alone, we need to think about optimizing land for both,” she noted, highlighting the importance of designing systems that support dual productivity.

Research Across Diverse Environments

SCAPES research is examining how agrivoltaic systems perform under a range of climate and cropping conditions. Studies conducted in arid, semi-arid, and rain-fed environments—including Illinois—are helping identify where and how agrivoltaics can deliver the greatest benefits.

Findings show that solar panels can:

• Reduce soil moisture loss by limiting evaporation

• Improve water-use efficiency in some cropping systems

• Provide shade that may protect crops and livestock during extreme heat

• Support continued agricultural productivity while generating renewable energy

As climate variability increases, these benefits could play an important role in strengthening the resilience of working landscapes.

Addressing Challenges and Advancing Innovation

While agrivoltaics shows strong promise, Dr. Khanna highlighted several areas where continued research is essential. Designing systems compatible with large-scale commodity crops, optimizing panel height and spacing, and managing installation costs are all active areas of study within SCAPES and partner projects.

Emerging technologies—including robotics, precision agriculture tools, and adaptive solar designs—may help overcome current barriers and improve the efficiency of dual-use systems. SCAPES researchers are working to identify configurations that maximize both energy generation and agricultural output.

Supporting Communities and Collaboration

A central theme of Dr. Khanna’s work is ensuring that agrivoltaics benefits rural communities as well as energy producers. By fostering partnerships between farmers, researchers, and solar developers, agrivoltaic systems can provide new revenue opportunities while preserving agricultural identity and land stewardship.

She emphasized that collaborative development models—rather than outside conversion of farmland—can help build community support and ensure that the economic and environmental benefits of solar expansion remain local.

Looking Ahead

With solar energy expected to expand significantly in the coming decades, agrivoltaics offers a path forward that maintains productive farmland while supporting clean energy goals. SCAPES continues to lead research on how best to design and implement these systems across the Midwest and beyond.

Dr. Khanna’s recent interview underscores the growing national interest in agrivoltaics and the role of SCAPES in advancing innovative, community-centered solutions for the future of sustainable land use.

Link to Podcast Here