The American-Made Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Prize offers $8+ million in cash prizes to multi-stakeholder teams that develop impactful projects to deepen our understanding of the co-location of solar photovoltaics (PV) and cattle grazing operations (cattle agrivoltaics).
The LASSO Prize is designed to bring solar developers, farmers, ranchers, and other stakeholders together to form teams; build pilot sites; identify best practices, use cases, costs, applicable business models, and associated energy and agricultural outcomes; host field days; and more!
Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Prize:
Agrivoltaics, the co-location of solar PV and agriculture, is a growing industry that shows promising benefits for both agricultural production and solar energy development.
Cattle agrivoltaics has the potential to reduce land use conflict, preserve agricultural land, increase landowner and farmer/rancher revenues, and may also benefit animal welfare and plant and soil health while easing some of the barriers to solar energy deployment.
This innovative practice is relatively new in the U.S., and more pilot and pilot site projects are needed to de-risk designs and business models to prove that cattle agrivoltaics can yield agricultural and economic opportunities.
The LASSO Prize, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, will support pilot and pilot site projects designed to gather and share information about costs, business models, and energy and agricultural outcomes associated with cattle agrivoltaics. The prize also aims to support relationship-building between the solar energy and agricultural communities and generate best practices that will help expand the industry.
Who Can Compete
The prize is open to U.S.-based individuals and organizations, including solar developers, ranchers, and farmers. Teams are encouraged to include members who are hardware and software manufacturers, local governments, utilities, commodity organizations, historically underserved producers, researchers, extension programs, and universities with expertise in cattle research and agrivoltaics. See the Official Rules for eligibility criteria.
NOTE: For this prize, cattle agrivoltaics entails the co-location of solar PV arrays and cattle grazing. It does not include rooftop PV systems, projects without interaction between the cattle and the PV array, or projects with any livestock other than cattle.
Prize Structure
The LASSO Prize encourages submissions that will demonstrate integration of PV with cattle grazing, promote sustainable agricultural and energy practices, enhance land use efficiency, and support rural economies.
Interested competitors are encouraged to create multi-stakeholder teams and compete in one of two available tracks: Standard Track or Operating Projects Track. Both tracks are accepting Phase 1 submissions until March 6, 2025, 5 p.m. ET.
Standard Track
The Standard Track is open to new cattle agrivoltaics projects. Through the three phases (Phase 2 consists of two subphases), this track focuses on teaming, system and grazing plan design, construction, implementation, and multi-year data collection.
Phase 1: Team Formation and Project Planning
Teams identify at least one potential site and develop a plan for integrating PV systems with cattle grazing.
The minimum eligible size of a planned cattle agrivoltaics system is 250 kW-dc.
Deadline: March 6, 2025, 5 p.m. ET
Phase 2A: Detailed Planning, Design and Permitting:
Teams refine project plans, finalize system design, and complete due diligence, including receiving engineering designs and drawings, completing energy production modeling, obtaining proof of submission of an interconnection application, and receiving applicable NEPA clearance, land use permits or approvals.
Phase 2B: Construction and Initial Operation
Teams construct cattle agrivoltaics systems and demonstrate operational viability, including energizing the system and submitting photos of the system, inspection reports and proof of cattle integration.
Phase 3: Data Collection and Analysis
Over the course of two years, with four submission deadlines (subphases 3A - 3D, every six months), teams will collect and report data on system performance, energy production, operations and maintenance, cattle health and agricultural outcomes.
*Data Bounty Bonus Prize is open to teams in both the Standard Track and the Operating Projects Track
Please note: Standard Track Phase 2B and Phase 3 Official Rules will be released ahead of the respective phase opening dates.
Operating Projects Track
This track is open to currently operational cattle agrivoltaics projects that are fully operational by the Phase 1 application deadline and that are larger than 250 kW-dc.
Phase 1: Documentation of Existing Projects
Teams submit team information, system specifications, cost information, and cattle integration details.
Deadline: March 6, 2025, 5 p.m. ET
Phase 2: Data Collection and Reporting
Over two years, with four submission deadlines (subphases 2A - 2D, every six months), teams collect and report data on system performance, operations and maintenance, energy production, cattle health, and agricultural outcomes.
*Data Bounty Bonus Prize is open to teams in both the Standard Track and the Operating Projects Track
Note: Rules for Operating Projects Track Phase 2 will be released ahead of the Phase 2 opening dates.
Bonus Prizes
The LASSO Prize also offers two bonus prizes: the Largest PV System Bonus Prize and the Data Bounty Bonus Prize.
The Largest PV System Bonus Prize is awarded to the team with the largest operational cattle agrivoltaics system in which cattle interact with a DC-rated PV capacity over 5 MW-dc, considering only teams from the Standard Track with eligible Standard Track Phase 2B submissions.
The Data Bounty Bonus Prize is awarded to the team that submits the most valuable datasets from cattle agrivoltaics projects that go above and beyond minimum requirements. Submissions from both Standard Track Phase 3 and Operating Projects Track Phase 2 are eligible for this bonus prize.
Guidelines
Please review the Official Rules for the complete application process and instructions for competing.
If you want to receive updates on the prize or have any questions, please follow this HeroX page, subscribe to the American-Made Newsletter, or email prize administrators directly at .
You can access teaming resources on the Resource tab to help identify other stakeholders who are interested in your project.
A recording of the January 8, 2025, Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Technical Assistance Webinar, focusing on design basics for cattle agrivoltaics projects, is available now. If you missed this valuable session, stream it now to catch up on any prize details you may have missed. You can also access the presentation slides on the Resource tab.
Remember that the deadline to submit your entry to the LASSO Prize is March 6, 2025. Teams are encouraged to start prepping submissions now. Don’t miss your chance at a share of the $8+ million in cash prizes!
We still have several more technical assistance webinars and office hours to help you with your submissions!
Do you have questions? Email , and we will be happy to help. You can also use the public HeroX Forum to ask questions and spark discussions with HeroX community members.
It’s not too late to registerfor today’s Technical Assistance Webinar on Agrivoltaics Design Basics.
Join us at 1 p.m. ET for this free technical assistance webinar featuring agrivoltaics experts from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, focused on important design factors and barriers to keep in mind when designing your projects for the LASSO prize.
The webinar will feature a presentation as well as time for Q&A, so bring your questions.
Join us for our technical assistance webinar series and office hours via Zoom, starting Wednesday, January 8! Agrivoltaic researchers and prize administrators will be on hand to provide information on agrivoltaic system design, data collection, and more to help you get your prize initiative ready for the March 6 submission deadline.
We look forward to answering your questions!
January 8, 1 p.m. ET – Agrivoltaics Design Basics This free technical assistance webinar will feature agrivoltaics researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Innovative Solar Practices Integrated with Rural Economies and Ecosystems (InSPIRE) team and will focus on design basics for cattle agrivoltaics projects. Join us to learn about important design factors and barriers to keep in mind when designing your projects for the Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) prize. The webinar will feature a presentation as well as time for Q&A. Register
January 22, 2 p.m. ET – Office Hours #1 This free technical assistance webinar will feature agrivoltaics researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Innovative Solar Practices Integrated with Rural Economies and Ecosystems (InSPIRE) team, who will be available to answer your technical questions related to cattle agrivoltaics for the Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) prize. This webinar will be an office hour format, so bring your questions! Register
February 5, 1 p.m. ET – Data Collection This free technical assistance webinar will feature agrivoltaics researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Innovative Solar Practices Integrated with Rural Economies and Ecosystems (InSPIRE) team and will focus on data collection for the Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) prize. Join us to learn about the importance of data collection during the prize, how the data will be used, how to build a team to be able to collect data, and what equipment may be needed to successfully meet the data collection requirements of the prize. The webinar will feature a presentation as well as time for Q&A. Register
February 19, 1 p.m. ET – Office Hours #2 This free technical assistance webinar will feature agrivoltaics researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Innovative Solar Practices Integrated with Rural Economies and Ecosystems (InSPIRE) team, who will be available to answer your technical questions related to cattle agrivoltaics for the Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) prize. This webinar will be an office hour format, so bring your questions! Register
Join us for an interactive office hour designed to help you navigate the Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Prize application process and connect with potential teammates! This event is taking place on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. ET. Register here for the event!
Hosted by the LASSO Prize Power Connector (ADL Ventures), this session offers a chance to get your questions answered on everything from eligibility and technical requirements to best practices for cattle agrivoltaics.
You’ll also have the opportunity to meet other participants and explore team-building options. Each team must include a solar developer and a cattle rancher or farmer with optional roles like landowners, research organizations, and local utilities. This is a great chance to find the right mix of skills and expertise for your project!
Time : December 19, 2024, 3 p.m. ET Register today!
A recording of the recent, December 4, 2024, Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Prize informational webinar is available now. If you missed this valuable session, stream it now to catch up on any prize details you may have missed. You can also access the presentation slides on the Resource tab.
The deadline to submit your entry to the LASSO Prize is March 6, 2025. Teams are encouraged to start prepping submissions now. Don’t miss your chance at a share of the $8+ million in cash prizes!
We will be hosting a series of webinars and office hours to help you with your submissions!
Do you have questions? Email , and we will be happy to help. You can also use the public HeroX Forum to ask questions and spark discussions with HeroX community members.
