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.
Did you know that you can receive individualized application support from the Power Connector for the LASSO Prize, ADL Ventures?
ADL Ventures is an open-innovation consulting firm and a Power Connector for the American-Made Challenges Program. They are contracted to provide free support to competitors and teams are available to offer to assist competitors with teaming and application development during Phase 1 of the LASSO Prize. ADL Ventures will be holding office hours twice a month through the Phase 1 submission deadline (March 6, 2025).
Answers to the questions that were submitted live during the recent Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Prize informational webinar are available now in the Prize FAQ. The webinar took place on September 24, 2024.
Navigate to the Phase 1 Informational Webinar (September) tab within the spreadsheet to view all the questions and answers from the webinar. The main tab in the spreadsheet contains all of the FAQ for the Prize.
Still have a question? Reach out to LASSO.Prize@nrel.gov or post your question in the LASSO Prize Forum. If you missed the first webinar, LASSO Prize Administrators will host another informational webinar on December 4 at 1 p.m. ET. Register to attend!
A recording of the recent Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Prize informational webinar, covering eligibility, deadlines, and more is available now. If you missed this valuable session, streamit now to catch up on any prize details you may have missed. You can also access the presentation slides on the Resource tab.
If you would like to watch this presentation and ask questions live, LASSO Prize Administrators will host another informational webinar on December 4 at 1 p.m. ET.Register to attend!
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!
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 register for today’s Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Prize Informational Webinar!
Join us at 1 p.m. ET for an overview of the LASSO Prize, answers to your questions, and all you will need to know to submit to Phase 1 by the March 6, 2025, deadline. A recording of the webinar, as well as answers to all questions will be provided on HeroX if you aren’t able to attend.
Register now to join today’s LASSO Prize Informational Webinar at 1 p.m. ET. We look forward to seeing you there!
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how you can compete for your share of $8+ million in cash awards while advancing cattle agrivoltaics! Join the informational webinar for the Large Animal and Solar System Operations Prize next Tuesday, September 24 at 1 p.m. ET.
The webinar will provide an overview of the prize, as well as requirements, scoring criteria, eligibility, and more to get you started preparing your team’s submission.
Prize administrators will also be on hand to answer your questions, time permitting. Any question not answered during the webinar will be answered and posted to the HeroX page. A recording of the webinar will also be available on the Update tab of after the webinar.
Get moovin’ and register for the LASSO Prize Informational Webinar on September 24 at 1 p.m. ET!
