U.S. Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill that Supports Agrivoltaics Research “U.S. senators on both sides of the aisle have recently proposed two bills to boost agrivoltaics, the double-duty climate solution that pairs solar panels (photovoltaics) with agriculture — or closely related land uses that benefit farmers and ecosystems. In May, senators Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and Cory […]
500MW of Community Solar to be Deployed by Community Solar Collective “Aggreko Energy Transition Solutions (ETS), a business unit of Scottish modular power equipment distributor Aggreko Ltd., announced it would become the capital partner to the Farmers Powering Communities (FPC) platform, a farmland community solar development collective. With preservation and non-profit groups Edelen Renewables, the […]
US Agriculture Industry Demonstrates Ability to Embrace New Technologies and Practices “The rising tide of opposition to large-scale solar farms has been impacting the US solar industry, but over the long run, PV stakeholders have the butterflies on their side. Solar developers are eager to pitch their projects as pollinator habitats that replace cultivated crops […]
Commodity or Specialty: Tracking Pollinator-Friendly SRECS “The M-RETS platform—the leading renewable environmental attribute tracking system used by Fortune 25 companies, utilities, and regulators—this year will begin tracking an additional environmental attribute associated with grid-scale solar projects: a pollinator-friendly designation. M-RETS already tracks solar renewable energy credits (called S-RECs) and Minnesota is one of a number […]
Research Shows Crops Can Boost Photovoltaic Panel Performance and Longevity “We now have, for the first time, a physics-based tool to estimate the costs and benefits of co-locating solar panels and commercial agriculture from the perspective of increased power conversion efficiency and solar-panel longevity,” said lead author Henry Williams, a doctoral student at Cornell. “‘There […]
NYPA Study Provides Best Practices for Agrivoltaic Systems “The New York Power Authority (NYPA) announced the release of a new report, Agrivoltaic Leading Practices, that recommends proven and innovative approaches on integrating dual-land use for agriculture and solar energy production. The study determined that a best practice agrivoltaic site ideally involves stakeholder collaboration, community education, policy […]
Agrisolar Clearinghouse Hosts Farm to Table Event at Biosphere 2 The AgriSolar Clearinghouse held an AgriSolar Farm to Table event at Biosphere 2 in Tucson, Arizona, last week, in partnership with the GreenBiz23 conference. Similar to the AgriSolar Clearinghouse Follow the Sun field trips, the AgriSolar Farm to Table events bring members of the agrisolar […]
Results of Agrisolar Soybean Pilot Project Revealed by PV Developer “French solar developer TSE, in association with Alliance BFC, has unveiled the initial results of a pilot study in France on how solar panels can affect soybean growth. The teams observed solid vegetative growth of the soybeans, with normal flowering, fertilization, and physiological maturation. The […]
This fact sheet includes information on how current and future research can help us understand the role of pollinator-friendly solar in biodiversity conservation. Without a doubt, considerable amounts of land will be needed to meet future solar energy projections.The current rate of solar energy development has already increased the pressure on land resources for energy generation and other land uses (e.g., agriculture, habitat for biodiversity, etc.). Therefore, sustained development of solar energy will depend on proper siting to avoid ecological conflicts and land-sharing solutions that synergize this form of renewable energy development with other land uses.
How current and future research can help us understand the role of pollinator-friendly solar in biodiversity conservation.
