DETROIT – Researchers studying whether food crops and a solar array could share the same land were shocked to discover a mutually beneficial relationship between the plants and panels,

The experiment took place in Houston, Alaska, about one hour outside Anchorage. Houston is home to Alaska’s largest solar array.

Using funding from the Department of Energy, the researchers tested whether food crops could grow successfully in the spaces between solar panels.

“The purpose is to study how food and energy can be produced together in a place where food and energy cost a lot of money,” said Glenna Gannon of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, the lead researcher on the project, per the Times. “Self-sufficiency is really important in Alaska,” the The New York Times reported .

To their surp

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