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Beyond Solar: Agrivoltaics, Land Stewardship & the Future with Matt Horvath
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What if the future of solar energy doesn’t mean sacrificing farmland, but restoring it?
In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, we sit down with Matt Horvath, General Manager at D-Com Electric and Co-Founder of Sun Cycle Farms, to explore one of the most innovative and misunderstood models in clean energy today: agrivoltaics.
Matt’s journey began in the trenches, starting as a first-year electrical apprentice, earning his Red Seal certification, and going on to design and lead solar projects across Southern Alberta, from 4kW home installs to 4MW utility-scale builds. What sets Matt apart is his dual perspective, equal parts electrician and farm kid. That background shaped a bold new vision: solar energy doesn’t have to compete with agriculture, it can complement it.
Matt co-founded Sun Cycle Farms to bring this vision to life through an ecosystem-based approach that integrates solar O&M, livestock, regenerative soil practices, and real-time control systems. This year they launched a demonstration farm that is testing cattle integration, smart fencing, real-time soil monitoring, and even carbon credit tracking through improved soil health.
In this episode, we unpack:
- The origin story behind Sun Cycle Farms and its community-first design
- How traditional lease models miss the mark and what a landowner-first approach looks like
- The risks of elevating solar panels for virtue without economics
- Why agrivoltaics isn’t “just sheep” and the case for cattle, chickens, and pigs
- How solar O&M and agriculture can be fused into a unified, tech-enabled model
- How carbon credits and regenerative land metrics could offset solar operating costs
- Lessons from Alberta’s “Ag First” mandate and navigating regulatory gray zones
Matt also challenges assumptions around energy development: why do landowners sign solar leases in the first place? What does that say about how we value land and food production? And how do we create win-win outcomes for rural communities, asset owners, and future generations?
This is not a story about compromise. It is about building a regenerative, integrated model for energy and agriculture that is built to last.
Whether you are a renewable energy developer, policy advisor, farmer, or investor in the clean energy transition, this episode will shift your perspective.
Links:
Matt Horvath on LinkedIn
SunCycle Farms Blog
SunCycle Farms
D-Com Electric
Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/
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