How Pivot Energy Is Leading the Agrivoltaics Revolution

Climate urgency, shifting regulations and rising community expectations are reshaping how clean energy is delivered.

Solar has moved from a niche asset to a core lever for decarbonisation, cost reduction and energy resilience. For Pivot Energy, that mission is both commercial and social.

Founded in 2009, Pivot Energy develops, constructs, finances, owns and manages onsite and offsite solar projects across the US.

Today, it is a leading independent power producer and Certified B Corp with a 4.1 GW portfolio and nearly 1,800 projects completed or in development, delivering reliable renewable power and tangible benefits to host communities.

Agrivoltaics now sits right at the centre of Pivot Energy’s business strategy. Rather than choosing between farmland and photovoltaics, the company integrates both to boost land productivity and local livelihoods. Director of Operations Angela Burke, who joined Pivot Energy in 2022, is driving that shift.

Angela has spearheaded the firm’s agrivoltaics programme and is accelerating a 100% agrivoltaics portfolio from ambition to deployment at pace.

The results are visible on the ground: thousands of grazing sheep and dozens of new solar farmers working productively beneath panels.

Recognised as the 2024 North American Agrivoltaics 'Champion of the Year', Angela is a vocal advocate for solar farming and a practical operator focused on safety, quality and long-term performance.

In this interview with Energy Digital, Angela shares her agrivoltaics expertise and what it takes to scale solar with communities in mind.

What is agrivoltaics?

Agrivoltaics, also known as dual use solar, is an approach that integrates solar panel production with agricultural production on existing farmland usually between 5 acres and 50 acres. 

Pivot Energy, who has been utilising some element of agrivoltaics on its qualified solar sites since 2022 and currently has 72 active dual use solar projects, more than any other solar developer. 

Pivot follows a three-pronged strategic agrivoltaics approach that focuses on livestock grazing, enhanced habitat and crop production. 

More than 95% of the solar sites Pivot operates include at least one of these land stewardship practices:

Livestock grazing 

Multiple types of animals: sheep, chicken, pigs, alpaca, llamas, ducks and other livestock can be integrated into the solar array area to complete grazing activities that manage vegetation while also improving soil health. 

Today, more than 3,200 sheep are grazing on 700 acres of dual use solar across 6 states.

Enhanced habitat

Planting customised native, low-growth plant seed mixes that flower throughout the year to maximise pollinator benefits. 

Pivot Energy’s site plans also incorporate native crops, wildflowers and we partner with apiaries to house bee hives to pollinate land and produce honey to sell.  

Crop production

Pilot sites’ harvests include vegetables such as radishes, daikon, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. 

April 2024, Pivot led first-ever U.S. PV+Crop+Subsurface Drip Irrigation configuration that was installed in LaSalle, CO.

In late April of 2025, Pivot’s farm partner tilled and planted the site and we look forward to seeing the first harvest this fall.

Pilot PV+Cropping site in IL will support a hay/alfalfa crop to be harvested 2-3 times annually.  

These pilot projects are integral to achieving Pivot’s overall goal of adopting agrivoltaics as a standard and at scale. 

What is the impact of these?

Pivot works with landowners to sign long-term leases between 20 and 40 years in order to develop purpose-driven community-scale solar projects. 

This enables landowners to receive dual-use solar projects that are helping to restore soil quality, increase ecosystem functioning and create pollinator habitats under the solar panels in rural communities across the country. 

Almost all of Pivot’s ground-mounted sites have committed to dual-use agricultural practices and we have more solar grazing sites than most U.S. developers.

The benefits of agrivoltaics include soil enrichment where sustainable seeding and land practices and fertilisers enhance soil health over a solar array’s lifetime.

Additionally, shade reduces the amount of water needed for irrigation and in return, the vegetation underneath the solar panels keeps those panels cooler, boosting operational efficiency and the amount of electricity they produce. 

Overall, it reduces the need for fossil-fueled vegetation management, machinery, herbicides and pesticides. 

Agrivoltaics sites also provide impactful financial benefits to the community. 

Pivot Energy commits to community donation funds that are injected into the local community for every megawatt of solar installed. 

As the project owner, Pivot also compensates the landowner via annual lease payments that provide a steady stream of passive income. 

And all operational costs, including property taxes, are also paid by Pivot.  

What is Pivot's involvement? 

Pivot is responsible for directly developing solar projects that ensure high standards of land stewardship, providing landowners the opportunity to lease their land for community solar project development. 

Landowners host Pivot solar farms and benefit from lease payments while local governments receive increased property tax revenues that support schools, police departments, first responders and infrastructure improvements. 

How is Pivot aiding landowners and farmers? 

By leasing land to Pivot, landowners and tenant farmers improve its viability so future generations can not only keep their land in the family, but generate a new revenue stream as well. 

Dual-use enables a wider range of crops and livestock to be raised, giving landowners more options to boost their land productivity. 

Plus, these solar projects can easily co-exist alongside active farming and ranching operations. 

And compared to other development options, such as housing, or commercial real estate, solar projects have minimal impact on the land and can be returned to the original condition once the lease ends.

What other partnerships is Pivot investing in? 

Pivot has partnered with several higher education institutions such as Colorado State University, University of Colorado-Boulder, Denver University and larger players like Microsoft, Walmart and Tapestry to develop solar energy projects. 

For every community that Pivot builds projects in, it establishes community investment funds that provide energy bill assistance, workforce development training and support agricultural initiatives. 

Agrivoltaics and community impact are embedded in every partnership and every project that Pivot Energy develops.