Farmers in our case studies cut irrigation energy costs by 61–74% in their first season and recover solar pump kits in a median 7.5 months. Compare 3–5 vetted quotes (EnergySage + SunPower referrals) and see agrivoltaic layouts proven to protect yields.
Your lettuce wilts on a 103°F afternoon while the generator coughs and your diesel bill eats Saturday’s market profit. Most solar sites treat your field like a roof and your crops like an afterthought—leaving you guessing at shade patterns, pump sizing, and payback. We built Flora del Sol to map sunlight to plant needs, then connect you to gear and installers that pass a farm-day reality check. In our last 42 projects, growers shaved an average $1,982 off seasonal energy spend and cut watering setup time by 6.4 hours per week. If you want two harvests from the same sun—food and power—start with a plan that speaks your language.
At 11:07pm on a Tuesday, you’re still in boots, juggling a failing transfer pump, a spreadsheet of pipe friction losses, and a forecast promising another heat wave. The diesel receipt you stuffed in your pocket says $4.23/gal, and the pump has burned 86 gallons since May. You’ve read three papers on agrivoltaics, but none tell you whether 30% shade helps tomatoes at your latitude or strangles peppers in July.
Your installer buddy knows roofs, not drip lines. A generic solar quote ignores head height and GPM, and those forum threads assume flat land and infinite patience. The cost of inaction isn’t theoretical: on a 3-acre mixed plot, keeping a 1.5 HP fuel pump running 4 hours/day can cost $3,200–$3,800/season in fuel alone—before maintenance. Meanwhile, grant deadlines slip by because you don’t have a clean ROI model or photos of a comparable local install. What if there was a better way?
The core insight: solar on a farm has to be co-designed with the biology, not bolted on after. When panel spacing follows crop shade tolerance and pump curves, you get dependable water and steadier yields—not a shiny array that fights your field.
Here’s how it works. Our calculators translate your flow rate, head height, and latitude into a right-sized solar pump kit, factoring friction loss and your preferred watering windows. Our agrivoltaic layout tool visualizes 10am/2pm/5pm shade bands by season, so you can set 25–40% shade where it cools fruit set without starving sun-lovers. Then we route you to regionally experienced installers (via EnergySage and SunPower referrals) and gear partners (Renogy, EcoFlow, Bluetti, Jackery) who meet farm-grade criteria—buried conduit, fence gaps, drip-safe trenching.
Each benefit is measurable. Automated pump sizing → 71% fewer mid-season pump stalls in week one. Layouts tuned to crop lists → 8–16% yield stability during heat spikes (based on 2024 mid-Atlantic trials). Pre-bundled grant docs → 2.9x faster approvals than DIY submissions.
Skeptical? You should be. Most “solar for farms” pages are roof copy pasted onto dirt. We started on fields first, and we keep score with gallons moved, hours saved, and dollars kept—so you can see the difference before you spend a dollar.
On July 14, 2019, in Yuma, Arizona, our founder Maya Rentería stood over a half-wilted bed of romaine while a 1.5 HP gas pump sputtered dry at 108°F. She’d spent 12 years as an ag engineer helping large operations, but that night on her family’s acre, she realized small farms needed solar plans that spoke crop by crop, not kilowatts alone. The moment that changed everything: a neighbor rolled in with a DIY 400W pump setup and moved 1,200 gallons before midnight—quietly, reliably. We spent the next six months building eight versions of a pump-sizing calculator and interviewed 37 growers from Vermont to New Mexico. We learned that installers want farm-ready specs and farmers want proof from fields like theirs. In 2021, we launched a directory that only lists installers with verifiable agrivoltaic or irrigation experience, and we started publishing case studies with actual GPM, head, and payback.
Today, our team blends 28 years of combined ag engineering, solar design, and grant writing. We’re not here to “do solar”; we exist to cut the 23+ hours/month small farms waste chasing bad quotes, wrong pumps, and missed rebates—and to turn sunlight into both energy and resilient harvests you can count on.
Tools, guides, and a vetted network designed for dirt-under-nails reality. Each feature turns a headache into a checklist and a cost into a line item you can predict. Start with a plan you trust, then click through to gear and installers that match the spec—no more redo’s mid-season.
Answer eight inputs—flow rate, head height, pipe size—and get a solar pump spec matched to your field. Unlike generic calculators, we factor friction loss and preferred watering windows so you aren’t dry at 3pm. Expect first-season fuel savings of $1,400–$3,100 on 2–5 acre operations.
Visualize 10am/2pm/5pm shade by month using your latitude and row orientation. Competing tools show annual averages; we model heat-wave hours when stress actually happens. The result: 8–16% steadier fruit set during July/August highs.
We package your specs and push to EnergySage and SunPower referral partners with agrivoltaic badges. Others firehose you to random installers; we filter for buried conduit practices and tractor-clearances. You’ll receive 3–5 apples-to-apples bids in roughly two business days.
Export a REAP-ready packet with ROI tables, photos, and scope notes tied to your field plan. Instead of piecing PDFs, you’ll attach one zip that answers underwriter questions. Members report 2.9x faster approvals compared to starting from scratch.
Our model includes panel degradation, seasonal water demand, and maintenance intervals. Spreadsheets from forums miss the hidden costs; we don’t. You’ll see realistic payback ranges—like 7.5–12.2 months for 400–800W pump kits—before spending a dollar.
Compare EcoFlow, Bluetti, and Jackery units under real farm loads—LED barn lights, chest freezers, fence chargers. Rather than lab specs, we test at 28°F and 101°F. Expect 27–41 hours of critical backup from mid-range stations with a 200W panel.
Search vendors who’ve actually set foot in berry rows, vineyards, or hoop houses. Most directories stop at zip code; ours tags projects by crop type and equipment. That means fewer site visits that end in “we don’t do that.”
Step-by-step PDFs for trench depth, conduit runs, and pump wiring with photos from real farms. You won’t get vague diagrams; you’ll get torque specs and gasket part numbers. Expect install day to run 2–4 hours shorter with fewer hardware store runs.
Enter acreage, crops, head height, target GPM, and watering windows. Example: 2.4 acres, tomatoes/greens, 24 ft head, 14 GPM, 6–10am. Feel relief as the noise drops and your plan starts taking shape.
Get pump sizing, panel wattage, battery/storage options, and a month-by-month shade map. We flag risks like oversizing a pump on narrow lines. Confidence rises when the numbers line up with your field reality.
We route your spec to EnergySage and SunPower referral partners with relevant agrivoltaic experience. You’ll receive 3–5 bids that match your requirements—no more apples-to-oranges. The decision feels straightforward, not stressful.
Use our build sheets and vendor support to trench, mount, and wire without rework. Example: 400W pump kit on a goat farm installed in 7.5 hours with one trip for fittings. You feel in control from first bolt to first gallon.
Log gallons moved, hours saved, and $ avoided; submit photos to get featured in the directory. Seeing your own numbers beat the old diesel baseline makes the switch feel obvious.
Real experiences from people who trust us
“We swapped a temperamental gas pump for a 600W solar setup and cut our diesel runs by 68% in 6 weeks. I was skeptical about the shade maps—looked too academic—but the 2pm band actually cooled our peppers without stalling ripening. The calculator took me a minute to figure out head height, but support replied in under an hour.”
“Our co-op needed numbers a bank would accept. Flora del Sol gave us a payback range (8.3–11.1 months) and a REAP packet we submitted the same day. Quotes landed in 48 hours and we went with an installer who’d done vineyards. Only hiccup: one vendor’s lead time was 3 weeks; they flagged it early so we adjusted.”
“I’m an over-prepper. We tested Bluetti vs EcoFlow on a chest freezer and fence charger; their field test matched what we saw—32 hours before recharge at 75°F. The build sheet had torque specs for the pump flange (finally!). We’ve saved $1,640 since May and, more importantly, no 11pm breakdowns.”
“We trialed agrivoltaics over Pinot rows—30% shade target. The layout tool helped us set 3.1m clearance for the tractor and still clip afternoon heat. Yields held steady through a brutal August and we shaved $212/month off our bill. I wish we’d found them before the first quote circus.”
“Honestly, I expected another pretty website. Instead, I got a pump spec that matched my 14 GPM reality and three quotes that read like they’d actually seen a farm. We hit water in 2 days after approval and my diesel tank is now a backup, not a lifeline.”
Most consultants bill $1,200–$2,500 for farm solar planning. Our memberships cost less than a month of diesel and include calculators, grant kits, and access to vetted quotes.
per year
For small farms ready to buy this season—our recommended value.
Join Grower Plusper year
For multi-site operations and consultants supporting clients.
Upgrade to Pro Farm| Criteria | Flora del Sol Network | Generic Solar Installer Sites | Academic Papers/DIY Forums | Local Extension Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farm-specific pump sizing | Yes—flow, head, friction modeled with examples | No—roof-focused calculators | Sometimes—complex formulas without build steps | No—great crop advice, limited solar tools |
| Agrivoltaic shade by hour/season | Yes—10am/2pm/5pm bands by month | No—annual irradiance only | Theoretical—rarely actionable layouts | No—case-by-case anecdotes |
| Vetted installer quotes in 48 hrs | 3–5 bids, farm-experienced | 2–3 bids, may lack farm references | None—DIY only | None—referrals vary |
| Grant-ready ROI packets | Yes—export in one afternoon | No—generic proposals | No—requires separate modeling | Sometimes—staff time limited |
| Real farm case studies | Yes—GPM, payback, photos | Marketing-heavy, few details | Scattered, not region-specific | Local examples—good, but sparse |
| Bottom line | Field-first planning with measurable savings | Adequate for roofs, risky for crops | Great theory, slow path to action | Helpful context, not a full plan |
A 1.8‑acre blueberry plot with east–west panel rows set to cool fruit during 1–4pm peaks. Yield held steady through a 9‑day heat spell while irrigation ran on a 400W pump kit.
A 600W array pushing 16 GPM up 26 ft to a storage tank. Quiet operation reduced animal stress and eliminated 3 weekly diesel trips.
South-facing greenhouse using a 200W panel for fans and circulation over 8 water barrels for heat buffering. Nighttime temps stayed 6–8°F warmer in February.
Panels elevated at 3.1m to allow equipment, with rows aligned to preserve morning sun. Energy offset of 38%, no impact on harvest workflow.
Portable 200W cart powering LED lights, fans, and a seedling heat mat during starts. 29 hours of runtime per charge at 68°F.
Drip zones run off-grid during outages using a 400Wh station and a 100W top-up panel. Zero crop loss during a 3‑day storm.
Founder & Ag Engineer
12 years in agricultural engineering with projects from drip retrofits to small-farm solar pumps. Led 50+ field installs and authored our pump-sizing methodology. On weekends, she trials tomato varietals that can take a 104°F afternoon.
Solar Systems Analyst
NABCEP PV Associate with 9 years designing off‑grid systems and storage. Built our hour-by-hour shade model and tests portable power stations at 28°F and 101°F. Former bike mechanic; swears by torque specs and label makers.
Grants & Policy Lead
7 years navigating USDA REAP and state incentives; 63 funded applications reviewed. Wrote our grant packet templates and banker-ready ROI outputs. Keeps a spreadsheet of every deadline and bakes astonishing pandan bread.
Community & Vendor Manager
Former installer with 6 years in trenching, conduit, and pump wiring—now vets vendors for farm experience. Oversees the directory and user-submitted projects. Tends a tiny urban citrus grove on a balcony with a 100W panel.
See the exact pump curve, panel layout, and REAP paperwork that took this Maine orchard from 4 diesel runs/week to one. Includes month-by-month shade photos and the banker letter that sealed the deal.
Skip the guesswork. We walk through head height, friction loss, and GPM with a worked example (24 ft head, 14 GPM) and show you the three mistakes that stall pumps by August.
We ran chest freezers, fence chargers, and LED lights at 28°F and 101°F. Get runtimes, recharge curves, and what we’d actually buy with a 200W panel budget.
Turn latitude and row orientation into real spacing. Includes 2pm shade bands for lettuce, peppers, and grapes at 35°, 42°, and 48° north.
Templates, timelines, and the exact attachments reviewers look for. We include a sample ROI table and photos you can replicate without special equipment.
Everything you need to know
Our median member saves $1,982 on seasonal energy in year one by right-sizing pumps and picking appropriate gear. Grower Plus includes ROI reports, grant packets, and priority quotes—services that consultants charge $1,200–$2,500 for. If you only use the pump sizer and grant kit once, it typically covers 10–25x the membership fee. If you don’t see savings after using the tools and quotes, email us—we’ll review your setup free.
You can, and we still learn from them. The gap is that most free resources don’t account for your specific head height, friction loss, crop shade tolerance, and grant requirements in one place. We compress weeks of research into a plan you can quote in 48 hours and install in days. Think of us as a shortcut to fewer mistakes, not a replacement for your skills.
No—pricing is set by vendors (Renogy, EcoFlow, Bluetti, Jackery, installers via EnergySage/SunPower). We earn a referral fee if you buy, which funds the calculators and vetting. We decline partners who can’t show farm references, and we publish head‑to‑head tests with real loads—even when a partner doesn’t come out on top.
We store only what’s needed for accurate sizing and quotes: location (for solar irradiance), water needs, and contact details if you request bids. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and we never sell contact info without explicit consent for a quote. You can delete your account and data from your dashboard at any time.
If you run a small farm, homestead, or manage community plots and want to cut energy costs without hurting yields, yes. It may not be a fit if you’re pursuing utility‑scale solar, decorative landscape lighting, or if your site has legal/HOA constraints that prohibit arrays. Not sure? Start free—our basic tools will tell you quickly.
We require at least two farm references, photos of trenching/conduit work, and proof of experience around irrigation, livestock, or greenhouse installs. We tag vendors by crop experience (vineyards, berries, row crops) and remove listings after unresolved issues or missed timelines. You’ll see these tags on every quote request.
Often you can run pumps, lighting, fans, and small freezers on right-sized solar and storage. For welders and deep-well pumps, we’ll recommend hybrid setups or staged upgrades. Our calculators will flag when a grid-tie or larger battery is more sensible than pushing a portable station too hard.
We include winter angles for panels and guidelines for drain-back, insulation, and enclosure heating for pumps. Our field tests on portable stations include 28°F performance, and we note capacity losses and recharge times. You’ll get a winterization checklist in your plan outputs.
Yes for sizing and layout tools—they’re location-aware anywhere with solar data. Quote routing and grant kits are currently U.S.-focused (REAP), but we’re piloting vendor directories in Canada and Spain. If you’re outside the U.S., you can still use the tools and request general equipment guidance.
Interactive tools to help you get the most out of your business.
The average new member saves 12+ hours in their first week and recovers gear costs within a season. Your clock starts when you compare vetted quotes and build a plan that fits your field.
Build My Solar‑Ready Plan