Why you can likely afford a solar system for your greenhouse

Added on 18 July 2023

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Why you can likely afford a solar system for your greenhouse

Renewable energy is a growing area of interest for many farms. In particular, off-grid solar energy systems have become a popular form of renewable energy. Off-grid systems are stand-alone power units not connected to the electrical grid. They directly use energy created from solar panels for powering farm systems and, as a result, can help reduce electricity costs to connected systems on farm.

A large barrier to installing off-grid systems has been their cost. With the passage of The Inflation Reduction Act, the costs of installation are potentially much more manageable.

A recent article from Michigan State University Extension focuses on opportunities through USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to reduce installment costs. The article is a follow-up to a previous on article that presented scenarios of on-farm cost savings from solar energy systems.

REAP focuses on renewable energy systems and energy efficient improvements. It provides funding specifically to agricultural producers and small businesses in rural areas to install and implement solar energy systems. In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act provided more than $1 billion funding for this program.