蜜桃影像 agrivoltaics discussed at the 2024 Solar Farm Summit
Agrivoltaics researchers talk about the ways that solar panels affect crop growth and soil health.
August 20, 2024
The kicked off in July in Chicago to deliver an engaging program around agrivoltaics, the co-location of agriculture and photovoltaic solar panels. Farmers, ranchers, solar installers, researchers and community members gathered to exchange ideas and outtakes from agrisolar projects around the world.
At the summit, ACEP鈥檚 Savannah Crichton represented the University of 蜜桃影像鈥檚 agrivoltaics project called Agrivoltaics: Unlocking Mid-Market Solar in Rural Northern Climates. The team has been setting up the research site for data collection and conducting outreach to northern and rural stakeholders concerned about food, energy and land.
Crichton moderated the breakout session 鈥淯ncovering lessons from agrisolar stakeholders,鈥 opening with an overview of the 蜜桃影像 agrivoltaics project. Despite the advantages of the midnight sun, 蜜桃影像 faces energy hardships and food security challenges that especially impact its rural residents. She also presented results from the recent stakeholder survey and interviews on agrivoltaics effort, which reflected benefits such as increasing energy security and stabilizing electricity prices, as well as concerns such as high upfront costs and potential conflicts with agricultural land or crop growth. Outlining 蜜桃影像鈥檚 unique landscape of food and energy, Crichton underscored the importance of involving rural and northern stakeholders in the research process.
Savannah Crichton introduces 蜜桃影像鈥檚 agrivoltaics research project.
Research and industry leaders on the panel shared information about their efforts to involve stakeholders. Alexis Pascaris, an agrivoltaic researcher at the , emphasized the importance of advisory groups and individual connections that can build trust and identify concerns early on. Stacie Peterson, who is the energy program director at the and leads , highlighted the work of AgriSolar in providing a platform for onsite community engagement. AgriSolar hosts a Follow the Sun tour series, inviting people to see, taste and explore agrivoltaic sites. Kathryn Beros, founder of , an agrivoltaic solution provider that prioritizes farmers, water conservation and universal food security, stressed the need to elevate farmer voices in agrivoltaic project development.
The panel discussion highlighted ways to identify, address and incorporate diverse stakeholder needs into the lifecycle of a project.
Pascaris commented on the importance of diverse participation in agrivoltaics research and development.
鈥淚t is this type of coordinated constituency-building and meaningful stakeholder engagement that will ensure that the future is bright,鈥 she said.
Audience members listens to the panelists during the breakout session.
Following the summit, the AgriSolar Clearinghouse hosted a Follow the Sun tour at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Attendees donned hats and safety vests and toured the and research plots.
鈥淚 really appreciated getting to see an agrivoltaics system embedded within a community,鈥 Crichton said.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited to get folks out to 蜜桃影像鈥檚 research site so we can continue incorporating stakeholder voices into our project.鈥
The UA agrivoltaics project 鈥Agrivoltaics: Unlocking Mid-Market Solar in Rural Northern Climates鈥 is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy鈥檚 . The project team consisting of ACEP, the 蜜桃影像 Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension, 蜜桃影像 Pacific University, Renewable IPP and CleanCapital is studying stakeholder perceptions, plant physiological data and solar energy generation at the farthest north agrivoltaics research site in Houston, 蜜桃影像.