2025 Dual-Use Plan of the Year Finalists

Solar-powered food production for community resilience in Colorado

At the base of Colorado’s Front Range, Denver Botanic Gardens is turning sunlight into both energy and fresh produce in one of the largest agrivoltaics efforts in the state. On a working farm just south of its Chatfield location, a 1.2-megawatt solar array now shades rows of vegetables—designed not just to coexist with farming, but to enhance it. Funded through a $4.7 million investment from the City of Denver’s climate sales tax, this dual-use system is expected to yield up to 30,000 pounds of vegetables annually while also delivering discounted renewable energy to 150 income-qualified households through Xcel Energy’s community solar program.

The raised solar panels—mounted high enough to accommodate tractors—adjust to the sun’s angle and even flatten in the face of hailstorms, protecting crops while maintaining energy production. This combination of adaptive solar infrastructure, local food distribution, and clean energy access sets the project apart as a model of multifunctional land use. Developed with technical support from the National Renewable Energy Lab and supported by the state’s Department of Local Affairs, it shows how agrivoltaics can be scaled for both environmental benefit and social equity. Visitors on opening day, including Governor Jared Polis and Mayor Mike Johnston, praised the project as a blueprint for Colorado’s sustainable future.

Explore how Denver Botanic Gardens is cultivating community through solar and soil at botanicgardens.org.

Urban Agrivoltaics Driving Community Revitalization in Detroit, Michigan

Lightstar, in partnership with the City of Detroit, is pioneering a transformative urban agrivoltaic project that integrates solar energy generation with sustainable urban farming. The multi-phase initiative, launched in Detroit neighborhoods including State Fair and Gratiot-Findlay, will deploy approximately 10 MW of solar capacity across community-centered sites. By combining solar infrastructure with crops like lettuce, kale, carrots, and berries, this project aims to power the city while nurturing local food systems. This innovative approach addresses both renewable energy goals and food security, reflecting Detroit’s commitment to environmental justice and community empowerment in an urban setting.

What sets this project apart is its deep community collaboration and inclusive design process. Lightstar works closely with residents and urban farming partners to ensure benefits are tangible—from clean energy generation to fresh, local produce. Complementing the technical work, the partnership with JIMA Studio emphasizes cultural awareness and engagement with Detroit’s Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities, promoting resilience and heritage through sustainable development. The initiative also provides energy efficiency upgrades for local homeowners, directly improving quality of life. By merging urban agriculture with solar, Detroit is forging a scalable model for other cities aiming to revitalize neighborhoods while tackling climate change and food access challenges.

Learn more about how Lightstar and Detroit are lighting the way toward a greener, healthier urban future at Solar Neighborhoods | City of Detroit and Lightstar’s website.

Pollinator research and sustainable land use in Wisconsin

The University of Wisconsin–Madison, in collaboration with Alliant Energy, is developing a 2.25-megawatt agrivoltaics pilot at the Kegonsa Research Campus to explore how solar energy and agriculture can successfully share the land. Known as BadgerVoltaics, the initiative brings together over 130 faculty, staff, and students to study the dual-use potential of solar farms in Wisconsin’s climate — from restoring pollinator habitats to producing food and clean energy side by side. The project will serve as a hands-on research and teaching site, advancing conversations around land use, ecological health, and sustainable energy systems.

The Kegonsa solar array reflects an innovative public-private partnership between UW-Madison and Alliant Energy. It is part of Alliant Energy’s Customer-Hosted Renewables program in which Alliant Energy partners with customers to host an Alliant Energy owned solar farm or other renewable source in exchange for a monthly lease payment.

With funding from the Climate Solutions for Health Lab, the team is tracking pollinator health through innovative methods like bee hotels with camera monitoring, and studying the impact of solar infrastructure on soil, runoff, and local biodiversity. The project will also evaluate how agrivoltaics can address declining pollinator populations — a key factor in food production — and improve land management practices across the Midwest. Led by researchers from civil engineering to agroecosystem science, BadgerVoltaics reflects a strong commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, scientific rigor, and community relevance.

Learn more about how this research-driven solar farm is shaping a more sustainable future for energy and agriculture in Wisconsin.

• UW-Madison Office of Sustainability  https://sustainability.wisc.edu/renewable-energy/uw-madison-kegonsa-research-campus-solar/
• Alliant Energy  https://www.alliantenergy.com/ways-to-save/customer-hosted-renewables/kegonsa-solar
• BadgerVoltaics: Agrivoltaics at UW–Madison’s Kegonsa Research Campus Solar and Agriculture Pilot Project
• Harvesting more than sunlight: Agrivoltaics project to explore co-existence of solar, farming | Wisconsin Energy Institute
• Agrivoltaics Research Directions

Agrivoltaic Apple Orchard Demonstration, Washington State

Washington State University’s Institute for Northwest Energy Futures (INEF) is pioneering the use of dynamic agrivoltaic (DAV) technology at its Sunrise Research Orchard near Wenatchee, Washington. Funded by a $2.4 million grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce, this 1-acre, 610 kW dual-use system integrates solar panels with high-value apple production to simultaneously generate renewable energy and protect crops. Partnering with Sun’Agri, a European leader in agrivoltaic systems and control software, INEF is addressing key challenges faced by orchardists—such as summer sunburn damage that can affect up to 50% of the fruit—while providing power for agricultural operations like irrigation and frost management.

This demonstration site highlights the potential of agrivoltaics to reshape Washington’s apple industry, which accounts for 35% of U.S. domestic apple sales and spans over 50,000 acres. By strategically shading apple trees like Honeycrisp and Cosmic Crisp®, the system reduces heat stress and water use, improving fruit quality and farm resilience. Beyond protecting crops, the solar arrays generate clean energy capable of supporting orchard electrification and grid contributions, presenting a scalable solution that could transform up to 10,000 acres of orchards into dual-purpose energy producers. INEF’s project exemplifies innovation at the intersection of agriculture and clean energy, delivering tangible benefits for farmers, consumers, and the climate.

Learn more about this promising initiative and how agrivoltaics is shaping the future of sustainable farming and renewable energy below.

• Institute for Northwest Energy Futures to demonstrate dual-use capability of solar panels in apple production
• WSU Tri-Cities-based energy institute to demonstrate partnering solar energy, apple production