Entries by A. J. Puckett

AgriSolar News Roundup: Solar Pollinator Habitat in Minnesota, Agrisolar Industries in US, Europe and Asia, Dominion Energy Lambscaping, Solar Grazing in Kentucky, Virginia Solar Pollinators, Solar Restores Biocrusts 

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 […]

AgriSolar News Roundup: SREC Tracking, Spade Agrivoltaic Software, Agrivoltaic Market Value, Cannabis and Solar 

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 […]

AgriSolar News Roundup: Cornell Agrisolar Research, Agrivoltaic Development in Italy, Oregon Agrisolar Research 

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 […]

AgriSolar News Roundup: NYPA Agrisolar Study Results, Cornell Agrisolar Research, New Solar Panels Increase Crop Yield

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 News Roundup: Farm to Table Event at Biosphere 2, UAZ Agrisolar Research, German Agrisolar Pilot Project  

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 […]

AgriSolar News Roundup: Agrisolar Pilot Project Results, Vertical PV Research, Translucent Solar Panel Research 

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 […]

The Science of Solar-Pollinator Habitat: Fact Sheet

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.

Agrisolar as Drought Protection  

By Asaf Maman and Avi Elkayam, Trigo Solar  Declining precipitation levels and the associated reduction in arable land can negatively impact rural communities and pose a threat to food security. While utility-scale solar projects reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they can also encroach on arable lands and reduce the yield of rainfed crops. Wheat, barley, soy, […]

AgriSolar News Roundup: Win for America’s Farmers, 5 Signs of Agrisolar Revolution, Agrisolar Pumps in India, Harvesting Light in Agrisolar, Massachusetts Solar Incentives 

Win for America’s Farmers: Harvesting Solar Energy  “America’s solar industry has boomed in recent years, and is slated for a big boost from the Democrats’ recently passed climate bill. Yet solar still only accounts for about 3 percent of electricity flowing into America’s grid—less than one-seventh the share from coal. If we want to phase […]