4512 S Race St, Urbana, IL 61802
In spring 2025, the Energy Farm installed this 88-kilowatt agrivoltaic solar array. The system consists of 152 bifacial panels mounted on Nextracker single-axis tracking, 160 feet long rows. The layout was designed to maximize solar performance while accommodating agricultural equipment with rows elevated 6 feet above the ground and spaced 40 ft apart.
This site is currently supporting both row crops and forage systems, including:
- Sorghum and soybeans (soy as a C3 comparison to corn-like C4 metabolism)
- Switchgrass and orchardgrass – selected as model forage crops well-suited for growth under central Illinois conditions
- Winter wheat (to be planted later this year)
Live cropping occurs directly under and between the solar panel rows, allowing researchers to assess light distribution, microclimate effects, crop growth, and energy yield in tandem. This array is one of three replicated research sites within the SCAPES project, with parallel systems located in Colorado and Arizona.
Live system performance:
👉 View Production Dashboard