Answers to All Your Solar Questions

Panels will be functional for decades and work at least at 80% of original output after 25 years, matching our shortest warranty period.  Batteries used for daily post-sun coverage will last at least 10 years, also matching our warranty.

Roof mounted panels usually don’t require maintenance work.  If there are unusual items in the air such as fire ash and smoke, then a gentle washing could be helpful.  Homeowners could do this on their own or hire a roof/ gutter company to support this process.  Batteries do not require maintenance but they do need air flow, make sure to keep space for them to breathe.  If anything should stop working, this is considered a service need and not maintenance.  

Current panel technology is much more efficient than even just 10 years ago.  Cloudy days will see a drop in production, and usually there will be continued generation until evening or actual storms.  Your system’s set up could affect this, and would be part of the initial review process to give you the maximum benefit possible.  

When we review the specific needs for your site, our financing team will find the most current state, local, and federal incentives available for your situation.  At this time, we can only say the 30% tax credit from prior administrations may be available for 2025.  We will keep updating this FAQ as that situation progresses. 

Scott Knows Solar’s core team having panels since 2011 (nearly 15 years) is actually very important to you. Other companies have theoretical knowledge about how solar works. We have real, first-person experience. This lets you skip our mistakes and jump straight to copying our victories.

Our team and partners have done many solar deals in many different arenas across multiple states. The commercial list includes car washes, car dealerships, casinos, hotels, banks and farms. Residentially, we’ve put solar on single family homes, duplexes and condos.

Agrivoltaics, also known as agrovoltaics or dualuse solar farming, is the practice of integrating solar panels with agricultural activities. This approach allows for the simultaneous production of food and renewable energy on the same land.  

Many studies on multiple continents have shown enhanced crop yield and better solar performance.  Also, several of the organizations you know and love consider agrivoltaics a great technology, including: American Farmland Trust, The National Renewable Energy Lab, and the American Solar Grazing Association.

Agrivoltaic systems place solar panels in ways that allow crops, livestock, or other farming activities to continue beneath or around them. Panels may be elevated, spaced strategically, or installed with tracking systems to optimize sunlight exposure for both energy production and plant growth.  

The simplest way to think of this is the panels get put high enough off the ground that you can farm under them.  This could be done by building a new support structure (basically, a building without walls) or adding panels to an existing buildings like barns or greenhouses (assuming it is strong enough).

Different crops require different solar heights and other details. This means knowing what crops you intend to plant where, including rotation schedules, is a critical detail for the solar planning process.

• Increased Land Efficiency: Maximizes the use of available land for both energy and food production.  
• Improved Crop Growth: Provides partial shade, reducing heat stress and water loss in certain crops.  
• Water Conservation: Shaded areas retain more moisture, reducing water waste.  
• Renewable Energy Generation: Provides clean energy while supporting farm operations.  
• Improved Crop Growth: This combination can lead to amazing results. Tomatoes have shown up to double the yield, grapes up to 60% yield improvement, just to name a couple of examples.
• Longer Growing Seasons: By creating optimum growing situations, including earlier starts and later finishes, farms can potentially get an extra harvest of certain crops every year.

Generally, partial to full shade row crops have shown the best results. Tomatoes and Grapes are exceptional performers. 

Examples include leafy greens (lettuce, spinach), root vegetables (carrots, potatoes), berries, herbs, and some legumes. Research is ongoing to determine optimal crop choices for different climates and solar panel configurations.

Yes!

In many places, it is actually cheaper to raise goats or sheep in Agrivoltaics than to mow around the panels.  Cows and other animals have a curiosity that can lead to them damaging electrical wires and other components – so the installation must include extra planning to limit this behavior’s impacts.

Not necessarily. While they reduce direct sunlight, the shade from panels can actually enhance growth in some plants by protecting them from extreme heat, reducing water evaporation, and preventing sunburn damage. The impact depends on crop selection, local climate, and panel arrangement.  

Energy output depends on panel efficiency, sunlight availability, and system design. A well implemented agrivoltaic system can generate enough electricity to power farm operations and even contribute excess energy to the grid.  

Yes, agrivoltaics can provide financial benefits through:  

• Reduced electricity costs.  
• Revenue from selling surplus solar energy.  
• Grants and incentives for renewable energy adoption.  
• Potential higher yields and water savings.  

The largest US installations have been done all around the country – in red, blue and purple states – including Colorado, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Big states like Texas and small states like Delaware have also had successful agrivoltaics projects.

For a 3rd-party regularly updated map organized by state and type, https://www.agrisolarclearinghouse.org/atlas/#tab-id-6

Additional studies have been done outside the USA in places like France, Germany, Japan and India.  The industry is always innovating and finding new combinations that lead to new farming efficiency, productivity and yield breakthroughs.

Give us a call and we will help design a system that optimizes both farming and power generation. There may also be financial incentives and grants available to support adoption, which vary by state.  

We will have a conversation about what your goals are, as well as what crops you are looking to farm with the panels. Then we will schedule things like site visits for our analysis, which will include things like getting your electric bill and looking at the existing electrical infrastructure (if any exists).

Once our analysis is complete, we will give you a full picture proposal including financials, system size, projected energy generation, crop yield projections, siting recommendations, and other details.  Upon your approval, permitting, working with your local utility, panel sourcing, and construction begins.

We work with a standard fixed position system set up to reduce the complexity of the parts involved.  While follow-the-sun is great technology, we prefer to keep the moving parts to a minimum.