The Agrivoltaics team monitors changes in colony health and honey production for four colonies at the Alliant Energy Solar Farm at ISU (Ames), the SunSmart Solar Farm (Ames), and the Hy-Vee Solar Farm (Chariton). Beekeeping at solar farms may support both pollinator conservation and the beekeeping industry in the U.S.

Beyond honey bees, other wild bee species also visit the Alliant Energy Solar Farm at ISU, where multiple pollinator-friendly plant mixes have been cultivated.

Wild pollinators, like Monarch butterflies, also visit the Alliant Energy Solar Farm at ISU, where adding perennial flowering plants back to the land supports them by increasing floral resources.

Researchers at the Alliant Energy Solar Farm at ISU track flower counts to quantify the resources available to pollinators, including honey bees and wild pollinators.

Conventional farming equipment can be used to till the plots between the rows of solar panels at the Alliant Energy Solar Farm at ISU.

Maintenance on the solar panels at the Alliant Energy Solar Farm at ISU is performed regularly to keep the farm operational as a utility-scale solar installation.

Weed fabric is used on many of the plots where horticultural crops are grown each season.

Each year, a number of team members work to harvest all the horticultural crops grown at the Alliant Energy Solar Farm at ISU.

Each year, a number of team members work to harvest all the horticultural crops grown at the Alliant Energy Solar Farm at ISU.

The summer squash grown at the Alliant Energy Solar Farm at ISU starts in the greenhouse before being transplanted at the farm.

The greenhouse-grown summer squash is planted at the Alliant Energy Solar Farm at ISU in late May, marking the start of the outdoor growing season.

Throughout the summer, the summer squash grows in plots between the solar panel arrays. Researchers monitor the crops' progress and health during the growing season.

Researchers harvest the summer squash in July. After harvest, researchers evaluate the crop to determine total yield and quality. The yield's marketability is evaluated based on USDA grading standards.

Open house tours of the Alliant Energy Solar Farm at ISU happen throughout the summer and fall each year. During 2025 and 2026, over 300 people attended an open house tour.

The Agrivoltaics team has attended Solar Day at the Iowa State Fair twice, in 2025 and 2026. Visitors included members of the public and state officials, increasing public engagement with agrivoltaic projects and practices.

The Dean's Citation for Extraordinary Contributions to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University honors individuals or teams who have made a significant, extraordinary difference or contribution to the college. The Agrivoltaics team received the award in 2025 from the former Dean Daniel J. Robison, PhD, who served from 2019 to 2026.

The Agrivoltaics team offers private tours of the Alliant Energy Solar Farm at ISU during the growing season, typically in summer and fall. In 2025 and 2026, over 900 people attended a private tour of the solar farm.