In many respects, Takeshi Magami’s farm is like any other in Japan, growing everything from potatoes to ginger and eggplants. But one major difference sets it apart from its neighbors: the 2,826 solar panels perched above the crops. The panels, covering much of the 2.5 acres of land in the tranquil countryside east of Tokyo, serve a dual purpose. They supply nearly all the power needed to run the farm, and are a source of extra income by selling surplus renewable energy to the grid. For Magami that can mean 24 million yen ($187,000) of additional revenue a year, eight times more than the maximum 3 million yen generated from his produce. While he benefits from generous tariffs that have since been reduced, it's an indication of the added value available to farms in Japan and globally. “Our goal is to electrify and automate all steps of farming” and create a model for what sustainable agriculture could look like, says Magami. The farm is part of a global movement called solar sharing — or agrivoltaics — that involves the simultaneous use of farmland for producing crops and generating renewable energy. Read more about the farm at the link in our bio. This article is from May 2022. 📷: Toru Hanai/Bloomberg