A Colorado State University research facility and peach farm in the Grand Valley are among the winners of the latest grants for projects that demonstrate the benefits of producing solar energy and food from the same parcel of land.

The CSU Caspari Lab will assess the effects of agrivoltaics on grape yield, fruit quality and vineyard microclimates in the western Colorado growing region.

Talbott’s Farms in Palisade will install sensors and other equipment to monitor the effects of an agrivoltaic system over a peach orchard.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture awarded a total of $500,000 in agrivoltaics research and demonstration grants to six projects.

“Colorado’s agriculture industry is leading the way in innovation, and the agrivoltaic research and opportunities supported by these grants will move our state forward while strengthening agriculture in our state. Just as Colorado’s history is built on the strength and resilience of agriculture, our future will be as well,” said Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.

Kate Greenberg, Colorado commissioner of agriculture, said the Colorado Department of Agriculture is committed to helping producers implement new ways to generate energy on farms and ranches. “We are glad to support further understanding of the benefits and challenges of combining solar and agriculture and the diverse benefits each parcel of land can provide.”

The competitive grant program received 25 applications requesting more than $3 million. A grant evaluation committee reviewed each application, scoring them on impact, producer benefits, innovation, approach and budget and applicant experience. The six projects selected for funding include concepts from research institutions, solar companies and farms.

Funding for this round of grants was approved during the 2024 legislative session. Grants are administered by the Agricultural Drought and Climate Resilience Office, which supports efforts to strengthen the ability of  Colorado producers’ to mitigate and respond to drought and a changing climate.