The placement of solar panels in Colorado’s grasslands could help decrease water stress and increase plant growth by about 20 percent during dry years, a new study has found.

In these semi-arid areas, where grasslands often don’t get as much water as they need, the partial shading offered by solar systems can help plants get through harsh summers, according to the study, published in Environmental Research Letters.

The plants also benefit from any additional water that ends up collecting on the panels, the authors........

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