Learning Under the Panels: Agrivoltaics Research at Chico State

May 7, 2026

By Benjamin Narwold, contributing author

Chico State Agrivoltaics Site At-A-Glance

• Size: ~30 ft × 30 ft (0.02 acres)
• Scale: 5 kW
• Configuration: Checkerboard panels, east–west tracking
• Interconnected: No
• Electricity use: On-farm
• Crops: tomatoes and peppers (summer) and leafy greens (winter)
• Farming practice: Organic
• Open for public visits: Yes, contact Scott Grist to schedule

Researchers at the agricultural research farm operated by California State University, Chico, are testing a simple idea with big implications: can solar panels be integrated into working farmland in a way that maintains, or even improves, crop yield and quality? 

The work is happening within Chico State’s 800-acre farm system, which includes an organic dairy, livestock operations, and the Organic Vegetable Project. Dr. Lee Altier, who has long been involved in the farm’s field-based experimentation, is leading the research and helping bridge agronomic practice and emerging energy systems by utilizing a small agrivoltaics system to experiment in climate adaptation and multi land-use opportunities.

A checkerboard canopy for sharing light

The system is compact, with a footprint of about 30 ft × 30 ft and a capacity of roughly 5 kW, and its design is highly intentional. The array is arranged in a checkerboard pattern of small modules (about 22 in × 22 in each) creating a shifting mosaic of light and shade across the field throughout the day. The novel design, created by Chico State graduate and engineer Raphael DiGenova, was inspired by shade cloth and its pattern of tiny squares, which provides light diffusion.

The panels are elevated 10 to 15 feet above the ground, providing sufficient clearance for the tractors and standard farm equipment that the research team operates beneath them. Structurally, they are mounted on north–south-oriented shafts tilted about 10° toward the south, enabling east–west sun tracking and continuous adjustment as solar conditions change throughout the day.

Optimization of light transmission to the crop

Beneath the array, 10 times per second, five sensors measure photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) transmitted to the crop. To ensure the crop is getting enough light, the tilt of the panels is automatically adjusted throughout the day. 

On low-light days, such as during the winter or when there is heavy cloud cover, the panels tilt to minimize shadow, letting through as much light as possible. On a typical summer day, when full-sun conditions are too much for many crops, the panels tilt to maximize shadow and protect the plants from heat stress and sunburn. 

Growing crops under temperature extremes

The fields beneath the panels are planted with tomatoes and peppers in the summer and with leafy greens like lettuce and spinach in the winter, and visiting researcher Dr. Funda Yoldaş of Ege University in Turkey is helping monitor vegetable responses to partial shading. These crops were selected because they are highly sensitive to sun and frost damage, respectively, two factors that are becoming increasingly difficult to predict and manage for California agriculture.

In open fields, summer temperatures in the region can exceed 100°F, causing heat stress that reduces flowering, accelerates water loss, and ultimately lowers agricultural yields. One of the central questions being explored at the site is whether partial shading from solar panels can help lower canopy temperatures, smoothing midday heat spikes, and reducing evapotranspiration.

“Agrivoltaics offers a highly attractive approach to moderating temperature extremes and improving crop water-use efficiency. However, many designs may reduce light availability below crop requirements. The Chico State installation is designed to satisfy crop photosynthetic demand while diverting surplus irradiance to electrical generation. Such systems may offer a promising pathway for sustaining productive farms on a rapidly warming planet.”
– Dr. Lee Altier, co-founder of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems at California State University, Chico

Built around real farm operations

This system was designed with day-to-day farming in mind. The elevated structure allows tractors and other equipment to pass beneath the panels, preserving the farm’s operations for planting, cultivation, and harvest.

The system is also mounted on a mobile frame, meaning it can be relocated to different parts of the farm following the current research project, which is scheduled to run for two years. This flexibility can allow researchers to test agrivoltaics across multiple cropping systems and field conditions, including potential future use in adjacent pasture areas.

A robotic mini-tractor and electric food delivery truck will charge directly from the solar array, with battery sizes of 12-24 volts and 100-400 amp hours, highlighting how on-farm energy generation and operations automation may intersect in the future.

Dr. Altier underscores the importance of testing these systems under actual farming constraints, where crop rotations, equipment access, working conditions, and weather variability all shape what is practically possible, not just what is theoretically efficient.

Why it matters for California agriculture

Heat extremes and water constraints increasingly shape agriculture in California, while demand for renewable energy continues to grow, often creating a perceived tension between solar development and farming operations. The Chico State agrivoltaics system provides a small-scale experimental framework for understanding how energy systems can integrate with agricultural operations, testing how crop and solar production can be achieved within the same field.

Contributing Author Benjamin Narwold is an incoming Environmental Systems MS student at Cal Poly Humboldt and is focused on advancing sustainable land use at the intersection of agriculture, renewable energy, and biodiversity conservation. Author contact: bpnarwold@humboldt.edu