Entries by A. J. Puckett

AgriSolar News Roundup: DOE Agrivoltaics Funding, USDA Climate Awards, Solar Powered Dehydrator

DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office Announces $8 Million in Projects for Agrivoltaics Research  “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office announced $8 million in new projects that will research agrivoltaics—agricultural production, such as crop production, livestock grazing, and pollinator habitat underneath solar panels and/or in between rows of solar panels.  The Foundational […]

AgriSolar News Roundup: French Farmers Going Agrisolar, Agrisolar Event in Kentucky, EarthTalks Agrisolar Series

Farmers in France are Beginning to Combine Solar Panels and Crops  “In the Haute-Saône region, in the northeastern part of the country, an experiment is being conducted by solar-energy company TSE. It is hoping to find out whether solar energy can be generated without hindering large-scale cereal crops. Previous attempts to experiment with agrivoltaics have […]

New Federal Solar Tax Credit Resources Available 

The U.S. Department of Energy and the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) have developed new resources to help Americans navigate changes in the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) that occurred after the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022. The resources, intended for business owners, homeowners, and manufacturers, provide in-depth overviews of the […]

AgriSolar News Roundup: Tomatoes in California, Agrisolar Research in the Southwest, Symbizon Project in Netherlands 

Research Suggests Agrivoltaics Could Help California’s Tomato Industry  “Emerging research suggests growing tomato plants below and between solar panels could help the country’s billion-dollar-plus tomato industry, especially in places where it faces increasing stress from heat and drought. Shade provided by solar panels can help conserve water, create humidity, and lower temperatures that can become […]

Case Study: Texas Solar Sheep  

In partnership with Lightsource BP, Texas Solar Sheep grazes over 1,800 sheep on a solar site in Deport, Texas. These sheep are grazed in groups of 50 to 75, 250 to –270, and even 500, making Texas Solar Sheep one of the largest Agrisolar grazing operations in the United States.    All 1,800 sheep are […]

AgriSolar News Roundup: Agrivoltaic Research in Australia, Solar and Farmland Compatibility, Agrisolar Development in Oregon

Australian Researchers Develop Solar Panels Optimized for Agrisolar   “University of New South Wales researchers have teamed up with Tindo Solar to develop a line of semi-transparent modules, specialized for agrivoltaic cropping, which will use nanoparticles tuned to capture different parts of the light spectrum. ‘There is evidence you don’t need the full spectrum and some […]

Photovoltaic Stormwater Management Research and Testing (PV-SMaRT) Potential Stormwater Barriers and Opportunities

In this document, the Great Plains Institute (GPI) identified existing permitting practices and standards for solar development in the five PV-SMaRT case study states (New York, Georgia, Minnesota, Colorado, and Oregon) and other states across the nation. GPI then completed a “barriers and opportunities” assessment of existing practices to identify opportunities for reducing solar development soft costs and compliance costs, while maintaining or improving water quality outcomes.