African Company Provides Agrisolar Refrigeration “A company called AkoFresh is providing solar-powered refrigerated storage that it says extends the shelf life of perishable crops from about 5 days to 21 days. This will boost seasonal income for farmers by more than $10 million, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15%. Farmers can rent […]
This resource shows that agrivoltaics have the potential to benefit both crop yield and photovoltaic efficiencies. Innovative engineering technologies related to photovoltaic tracking along with new generation photovoltaic cells were reviewed to determine the factors that influence optimization in agrivoltaic systems. The review also investigates the last five years of research in agrivoltaic optimization and implications of future AV developments.
Vermont Agrisolar Study Shows that Saffron Grows Well Under Solar Panels “A study released earlier this year summarized the results of a three-year experiment conducted by the University of Vermont. The research concluded that, given the right soil conditions, saffron grows well in the aisles and at the edges of a solar array, which could […]
The Solar Industry’s Mower of Choice: Sheep “The panels blanket nearly 1,500 acres of a solar farm in Deport, a town near the Oklahoma border. Ely Valdez, the boss, makes sure prairie grasses don’t block sunshine from the panels. His sheep do most of the work. Sheep, the surprise workhorse of renewable energy, are generating […]
Merging community solar and agrisolar could aid the Department of Energy’s (DOE) goal of saving $1 billion in energy costs through community solar by 2025. Not only would merging community solar and agrisolar help DOE reach that goal, but would also provide other opportunities and benefits such as the regeneration of soil on solar sites, […]
1,000 Sheep Will Graze Colorado Solar Farm “Solar developer Guzman Energy achieved regulatory approval from the Delta County Board of Commissioners for a limited use permit to install and operate an 80 MW project on land in Southern Delta County, Colorado. The site that will house the array is currently irrigated and utilized for grazing, […]
Delta County, Colorado, commissioners have given approval to the Garnet Mesa solar farm to proceed with developing a 475-acre, 80-megawatt solar farming facility that was previously rejected due to concerns about losing farmland. After developers modified their plan by added 1,000 sheep to occupy the farm, commissioners voted to grant the land-use permit, satisfied that […]
“Last year, the horticulture staff at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University planted a new pollinator meadow at the Arboretum’s Weld Hill Research and Administration Building. Wild-collected seeds of native perennials were sown beneath, between, and around an array of 1,152 solar panels, envisioned as an ecological and technological experiment. As these plants come into […]
Michigan Agrisolar Farm Includes Cattle “Since farms use a significant amount of energy, generating electricity directly on the farm is appealing for those seeking to reduce expenses. Also, farming-friendly solar is possible where several farms have married on-farm solar with rotational grazing of livestock. While sheep have been the predominant livestock used in solar pastures, […]
AgriSolar Shown to be Ideal for Various Crops and Livestock “Agrivoltaics, the practice of producing food in the shade of solar panels, is an innovative strategy that combines the generation of photovoltaic electricity with agricultural land use. The outcome is an optimized relationship between food production, water, and energy – the so-called Food-Energy-Water Nexus. According […]
