- Stracker Solar’s elevated installations preserve full land use and make ideal companions for high-value crops and cattle grazing.
- Elevated Strackers follow the sun and generate up to 70% more power than stationary ground mounts.
- Stracker agrisolar has potential to become a new cash crop for financially struggling farms and ranches.
- Our Table Cooperative’s Strackers are part of the first agrivoltaic microgrid in the United States.
ASHLAND, OREGON – As the demand for clean energy grows, balancing energy development with land use is critical. Stracker Solar, a leading innovator in solar tracking technology, is setting the standard for high-efficiency solar solutions with elevated Stracker installations. These sun-tracking systems are not only revolutionizing solar energy production but make perfect companions for rural farm and ranch land.
The rise of energy-intensive data centers is straining an aging American electric grid and driving up the cost of electricity for both rural and urban customers, making localized, high-efficiency renewable energy solutions more important than ever. Unlike traditional ground-mounted solar arrays that take farmland out of production, Stracker Solar’s elevated trackers follow the sun to generate up to 70% more energy than fixed solar panels while leaving the land below fully usable. Elevate solar installations enable farmers and ranchers to maintain high-value agricultural activities, such as crop cultivation and cattle grazing.
Stracker Solar’s elevated systems are uniquely compatible with crops, creating a beneficial environment for farming in an ever-hotter climate. By providing shade during the hottest parts of the day, Strackers reduce heat stress on crops, helping them grow better while requiring less water. This is particularly vital for heat-sensitive crops like lettuce and leafy greens, which thrive in partial shade. Additionally, Stracker’s elevated design allows ample ground clearance for tractors and other farming equipment, ensuring that day-to-day agricultural operations can continue unimpeded.
The recently completed Stracker Solar installation at Our Table Cooperative, a 58-acre farm in Sherwood, Oregon, exemplifies this approach. The agrivoltaic project combines solar energy production with active farmland use, offering an environmentally and economically sustainable model. The elevated Stracker system provides dual benefits: clean energy generation while enhanced farming conditions by mitigating crop heat stress and reducing water evaporation – all critical in the face of climate change. The Strackers at Our Table Cooperative are part of the first agrivoltaic microgrid in the United States.
“Strackers are the future of solar and farming,” said Freddy Sennhauser, global expansion chair at Stracker Solar. “We’re proud to offer a solution that supports America’s agricultural heritage while helping the country meet its aggressive energy production goals.”
Stracker Solar’s elevated systems address the growing concern about the loss of agricultural land to large-scale solar development, providing a path forward that ensures solar energy growth does not come at the cost of agricultural productivity.
Benefits of Stracker Solar Elevated Trackers for Farms and Ranches:
- Maximized Energy Production: Up to 70% more energy than fixed panels.
- Preservation of Agricultural Land: Fully operational farmland beneath the solar installations.
- Support for Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Reduced heat stress and water evaporation for crops.
As the world transitions to renewable energy sources, Stracker Solar’s elevated sun-tracking technology offers a sustainable way to meet energy demands while enhancing production on high-value agricultural land.
