DUAL-USE LAND MANAGEMENT: CORN PRODUCTIVITY WITHIN A VERTICAL BIFACIAL AGRIVOLTAICS SYSTEM IN NORTHERN COLORADO

Abstract

Agrivoltaics (AV), the co-location of agricultural production and solar energy generation, has gained momentum as land availability for conventional solar projects declines and demand for both food and renewable energy increases. Vertical racking systems mount bifacial photovoltaic (PV) panels in a fixed upright orientation, allowing light capture on both surfaces without sun-tracking mechanisms and with a reduced land-use footprint. This configuration is compatible with mechanized farm equipment, making it well suited for large-scale cropping systems.This study evaluated the effects of vertically installed bifacial PV panels on the quantitative and qualitative performance of sweet corn (‘Anthem XR II’) during the 2025 growing season and silage corn (‘195-51STXRIB’) during its 2024 establishment year in northern Colorado. Corn was mechanically planted between north-south oriented PV rows under four treatments: center, east (morning light/afternoon shade), west (morning shade/afternoon light), and an unshaded control, each with three replicates. Significant differences in instantaneous net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) were observed among treatments, with the west treatment exhibiting the lowest morning Pn and PAR. Despite these microclimatic differences, no significant treatment effects were detected for sweet corn or silage corn yields. Sweet corn quality parameters, including cob length and width, kernel row number, kernels per row, husk appearance, tip filling, pollination and °Brix value, were comparable to the control. However, crop rows immediately adjacent to the panels exhibited a 3-11 day delay in flowering phenology and ear maturity, indicating potential management implications such as delay in maturity and adjusting harvest and market scheduling. Overall, vertically mounted bifacial agrivoltaics systems sustained corn productivity while integrating renewable energy infrastructure, supporting dual-use land strategies for simultaneous food and energy production.