AND TELL YOU WHAT THAT IS.

>> Eric: ALWAYS GOOD INFORMATION, DOCTOR.

THANKS FOR COMING.

>> Cathy: THANKS FOR COMING OVER.

APPRECIATE IT.

>> CATHY: MINNESOTA HAS LOST NEARLY 600,000 ACRES OF FARMLAND OVER THE LAST DECADE.

MOST OF THAT IS DUE TO URBAN SPRAWL.

BUT AS MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS LIKE WIND AND SOLAR GET APPROVED IN RURAL AREAS, SOME COMMUNITIES WORRY ABOUT THE IMPACTS.

REPORTER KAOMI LEE WENT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT AGRIVOLTAICS, WHERE AGRICULTURE AND SOLAR CO-EXIST ON THE SAME LAND.

>> Reporter: IN A QUITE PASTURE IN MINNESOTA, SOME CUT CRINGE EDGE RESEARCH IS BEING WATCHED AROUND THE WORLD.

>> IT'S PROBABLY WOULD BE OF THE HOT TOPICS IN THE LYFT WORLD RIGHT NOW IS ACTUALLY CAN YOU PUT COWS UNDERNEATH SOLAR PANELS?

>> Reporter: IT'S CALLED AGRIVOLTAIC, MIXING AGRICULTURE WITH SO ALREADY ENERGY.

HINES HAS BEEN STUDYING THIS FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS.

>> SOME PEOPLE WERE GRAZING SHEEP UNDER THOSE PANELS AND WE'RE GRAZING DAIRY HERE.

WE DO NOT HAVE SHEEP ON SITE SO IT WAS, LIKE, WELL, WHY CAN'T WE PUT COWS UNDERNEATH THOSE PAGES INSTEAD OF SHEEP.

>> Reporter: THE SILVER PROGRAMS ARE SIX TO EIGHT FEET OFF THE GROUND.

HERE 100 DAIRY COWS GRAZE AROUND THE TWO PANELS, SPACED 20 FEET APART.

THIS MALL ARRAY GENERATES 30 KILOWATTS OF ELECTRICITY.

THAT'S ENOUGH TO POWER A SMALL TO MEDIUM-SIZED FARM AND THIS E.V.

CHARGER.

BUT WHAT'S IN IT FOR THE COWS?

>> SHADE.

THAT'S THE BIG REASON.

THE COWS CAN BE UNDER IT DURING THE HOT PART OF THE DAY AND UTILIZE IT AS A SHADE STRUCTURE TO HELP REDUCE HEAT STRESS.

>> Reporter: AND HE SAYS LOWERING A COW'S BODY TEMPERATURE CAN HELP WITH FERTILITY AND MILK PRODUCTION.

>> A GRADUATE STUDENT KIRSTEN SHARP, THIS WAS HER MASTER'S RESEARCH AND SHE ACTUALLY FOUND THAT YOU CAN REDUCE THE BODY TEMPERATURE OF A COW BY ONE DEGREE FAHRENHEIT BY HAVING THEM UNDERNEATH THE SOLAR PANELS.

>> Reporter: BESIDES SHADE, THE PANELS CREATE THEIR OWN MICRO CLIMATE AND TRAP IN MOISTURE, ANOTHER SITE IS BEING BUILT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-MORRIS.

SO FAR, HINES SAYS THE COWS AND THE SALT ALREADY PANELS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CO-EXIST.

>> ACTUALLY A LOT OF FARMERS ARE EXCITED BY IT BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF OH HE-LIKE SOLAR INSTALLATIONS GOING UP AND FARMERS ARE INTERESTED IN SOLAR.

THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO SEE VALUABLE FARMLAND BEING TAKEN AWAY.

>> Reporter: SOME COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT LARGE-SCALE CONVERSION OF PASTORAL AGRICULTURAL LAND LIKE THE ONE BEHIND ME.

THAT'S WHY PROPONENTS OF AGRIVOLTAICS WANT TO PROVE THAT DUAL USE CAN WORK ON CONVENTIONAL CROPS.

IN OLIVIA, BROTHER LARRY AND RALEIGH ROUNDHORSE TOOK THE CHALLENGE.

WITH ENGINEERING BACKGROUNDS -- >> WE'VE DONE LOTS OF CRAZY INSIDE OVER THE YEARS, FROM BUILDING OUR OWN TRACTOR BACK IN THE '70s.

>> Reporter: ABOUT $75,000 OF THEIR OWN MONEY AND LOTS OF SWEAT QUILT.

>> I THINK I HAVE 23 ITERATIONS OF THIS.

>> Reporter: THEY DESIGNED AND BUILT THEIR OWN SOLAR ARRAY, RIGHT IN ONE OF ARRY'S CORNFIELDS.

>> YOU LOOK AROUND THE COUNTRY, THERE IS A A LOT OF AGRI VOLTAIC PROJECTS, TYPICALLY GEARED FOR VEGETAL CROPS OR GRAZING ANIMALS UNDERNEATH THEM, THAT SORT OF THING.

REALLY.

SEEN ANYBODY ATTEMPTING TO DO THIS.

>> Reporter: THEY HAD TO START THEIR OWN ELECTRICAL SERVICE.

THEY SOURCED ALL OIL PIPES AND SET SOLAR PANELS UP 14-FEET HIGH.

THE PANELS AUTOMATICALLY TRACK AND MOVE WITH THE SUNLIGHT.

A METER CHECKS THE WIND SPELLED.

IT TELLS THE PANELS WHAT TO DO.

>> THE ANOMETER SPINS IN THE WIND AND THE FASTER IT PINS, THE HIGHER THE WIND IS AND IT STOPS TILTING.

IT'S TOLTSLY LAT.

>> Reporter: THEY SAY IT SHADES ONLY 7.5% -- 7.5% OF THE GROUND.

>> IT'S SPREAD OUT OVER THE DAY.

ANY GIVEN DAY, YOU HAVE CLOUDS THAT GO OVER, TOO, SO IT'S KIND OF ALMOST THE SAME THING.

>> Reporter: IT WILL GENERATE 36 KILO WATTS OF POWER.

THEY CAN SELL WHAT THEY DON'T USE BACK TO THE GRID.

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA RESEARCHERS WILL MONITOR SOIL AND CLIMATE CONDITIONS, AND HOW WELL THE CORN AND SOYBEANS DO.

>> HAVING A SYSTEM WHERE YOU CAN BOTH GET ELECTRICITY AND STILL GROW YOUR CROP IS A MUCH BETTER USE OF CROP LAND AND A MUCH EASIER SELL TO FARMERS.

>> Reporter: THE FULL FIRST YEAR OF DATA WILL BE VAILABLE NEXT FALL.

THEY HELPED SET UP THE PROJECT AND WORKED WITH THE LOCAL CO-OP.

HE ESTIMATES THE BROTHERS WILL SEE A RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN LESS THAN 5 YEARS >> >> I WILL THIS WILL REALLY BE AN EYE-OPENER TO PROVE TO THE SMALL CO-OP, THAT THIS DOESN'T