As California continues to grapple with the challenge of balancing multiple land-use demands, the pressure to produce both food and renewable energy while also safeguarding biodiversity has never been greater. With a finite amount of arable and open land available, researchers, land managers, and energy developers are increasingly looking to innovative solutions that allow for shared benefits. One of the most promising approaches in this space is the development of multi-use solar projects, sometimes referred to as sustainable voltaics, which combine energy production with ecological restoration or agricultural practices.
A prominent example of this trend can be found at the University of California, Davis, where the Ecovoltaic Solar Park has been established on the university’s south campus. The project spans more than 60 acres in Davis, California, and represents both a research opportunity and a demonstration site for how solar facilities can serve multiple purposes. Historically, the land beneath the panels had lost much of its biodiversity and native seed bank, leaving the footprint dominated by invasive and noxious weeds. Conventional vegetation management strategies on the site had primarily focused on practical needs such as preventing panel shading and reducing fire risk, which required mowing the vegetation three to four times per year. While effective in terms of solar operations, this method did little to restore ecological value or enhance long-term sustainability.
In response to this challenge, a collaborative effort was launched with the U.C. Davis Wild Energy Center, which partnered with Hedgerow Farms, a NativeSeed Group company well known for its expertise in native plant restoration. Together, they designed 26 experimental mixes that combined different native species with varying seeding rates, allowing for a rigorous comparison of ecological outcomes. These mixes were then planted in replicated blocks across the solar park, transforming the site into a living laboratory for studying how vegetation can be managed to benefit both clean energy production and biodiversity recovery. The seeding took place in January 2025, marking a new phase in the project’s development and setting the stage for long-term research into how sustainable voltaics can help California meet its energy goals while simultaneously rebuilding resilient ecosystems.
Learn more about this projects and our feature in the NY Times below:
https://caes.ucdavis.edu/news/clean-energy-boost-multitasking-lands
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/05/climate/solar-power-pollinators-wildlife.html
