The purpose of this paper is to systematically synthesize the potential ecosystem services of agrivoltaics and summarize how these development strategies could address several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Led by Agrisolar Clearinghouse partner Leroy Walston, researchers focused on four broad potential ecosystem services of agrivoltaics: (1) energy and economic benefits; (2) agricultural provisioning services of food production and animal husbandry; (3) biodiversity conservation; and (4) regulating ecosystem services such ascarbon sequestration and water and soil conservation.
Tag Archive for: Solar
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 Agrivoltaic Research for Megawatt Scale (FARMS) funding program will advance agrivoltaics practices and show how it can provide new economic opportunities to farmers, rural communities, and the solar industry. They explore different ways to implement agrivoltaics that will address concerns from the solar industry and farmers. Currently, less than 2% of solar systems utilize agrivoltaic practices.” – Energy.gov
AgriSolar Clearinghouse partner Greg-Barren Gafford from The University of Arizona is among the award recipients. Learn more about award recipients, which also include Rutgers and Ohio State University, here.
USDA Announces Climate Smart Commodity Awards
USDA Announced 71 climate-smart commodity awards in round 2 of the initiative. Among the awardees is The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UT-RGV), with the project “Validating Agrivoltaic Technology with Underserved Agricultural Producers.”
The AgriSolar Clearinghouse will serve as a technical assistance provider for this project. This work will include the production of outreach materials, education, and workshops to promote benefits to potential agrivoltaic adopters in the Rio Grande Valley.
JUA Technologies Develops Solar-Powered Dehydrator
“JUA Technologies, an agriculture technology start-up that manufactures solar-powered crop dehydrators, has received a two-year, $600,000 Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop its technology.” – PV Magazine
Italian Research Shows Benefits of Growing Soybeans Using Agrivoltaics
“Scientists from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy have investigated different shade depth treatments on soybeans grown under an elevated agrivoltaic system in Monticelli d’Ongina, Italy. ‘Our work confirmed that soybean is shade tolerant and can be grown in combination with solar power generation. Considering not only soy but more crops and extensive crops in a large scale agrivoltaics is useful for increasing the sustainability of the agrivoltaic system itself.’ researcher Eleonora Potenza told PV magazine. – PV Magazine
Meta Obtains 720MW of Solar from Silicon Ranch
“Facebook owner Meta Platforms will power additional data center operations around the Southeast with 720 MW of new solar developments in Georgia and Tennessee with Silicon Ranch. Silicon Ranch is partnering with the Walton Electric Membership Corporation and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to supply power from seven new solar facilities to power Meta’s data centers in the two Southeast states, respectively.” – PV Magazine
In this article, researchers argue that the divide between food and energy production groups can be lessened with the co-generation of food and energy on the same land. This paper demonstrates the importance of different light spectra, and show that those spectra, if optimized in terms of their utilization, could lead to sustainable and more efficient food and energy systems.
This research was conducted to investigate the roasting capacity of a batch-type directly solar radiated roasting system for the decentralized processing of coffee using solar energy. Experimental results revealed that the roaster was capable of roasting a batch of 2 kg coffee beans in 20, 23, and 25 minutes subjected to light roasts, medium roasts, and dark roasts, respectively. The payback period of the solar roaster unit was estimated to be 1038 working sunshine hours, making it viable for commercialization.
This research details the design of a solar coffee roaster in rural Peru, and presents the result of experimental roasts. Researchers also discuss future improvements that could be made to the design.
This paper applied an open-source spatial-based model to quantify the solar power generation (the ground-mounted photovoltaic panels) for the southern regions of Poland and Ukraine. Researchers then compared economic indicators of the solar power generation and the crop production projects for rain-fed land. The analysis revealed that the PV projects have higher net present value, but lower profitability index compared to the crop production.
The main goal of this research was to find optimal management strategies for sheep flocks kept on solar arrays. Researchers studied flock health and productivity parameters, as well as forage production and quality in a multi-year colloborative trial on a 54-acre solar array adjacent to Cornell University campus. The study concluded that stocking densities of 12, 16, and 20 sheep per acre were successful in maintaining the vegetation within solar arrays, while grazing densities between 12 and 16 sheep per acre may be more complementary for flock health and condition.
This research addresses the concern that photovoltaic systems create a “heat island” effect. Researchers examined the heat island effect with experiments spanning three biomes and found that temperatures over a photovoltaic plant are regularly 3–4°C warmer than wildlands at night, a direct contrast to other studies based on models that suggested that PV systems should decrease ambient temperatures.
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 been through smaller-scale projects. But, keen to see if it can thrive on an industrial level, 5,500 solar panels are being spread over this farm in the commune town of Amance by TSE.” – Euronews
Solar Grazing Event Helps Kentucky Students Learn about Agrisolar
“The event was made possible through a partnership between the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office, LG&E/KU, University of Kentucky, Ohio State University, and solar development company Lightsource bp. Students learned about solar technology, seed mix establishment and meeting nutritional needs in solar grazing. Additionally, the release said students were able to tour the LG&E/KU E.W. Brown Generating Station’s solar array in Mercer County.” – The News Enterprise
Cornell Researcher Hosts EarthTalks Agrisolar Series
“Niko Kochendoerfer, a postdoctoral fellow in animal sciences at Cornell University, will deliver the talk ‘Effect of sheep stocking rate on ecosystem parameters in ground-mounted solar arrays’ at 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14. The talk, which is free and open to the public, takes place in 112 Walker Building on the University Park campus and via Zoom.” – PSU
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 ITC, Production Tax Credit (PTC), and Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit (MPTC).
The resources explain the process of claiming tax credits, answer frequently asked questions, and explain the tax code through examples. Titles include Homeowner’s Guide to the Federal Tax Credit for Solar Photovoltaics, Federal Tax Credits for Businesses, Federal Solar Tax Credits for Manufacturers, Get Answers to the Future of Solar Energy Development, and More Questions about IRA’s Tax Incentives.
Homeowner’s Guide to the Federal Tax Credit for Solar Photovoltaics
This resource will help homeowners understand how the IRA can help them save money on solar energy. It explains that the federal residential solar energy tax credit can be claimed on federal income taxes for a percentage of the taxpayer’s cost to install a photovoltaic system.
The guide includes an explanation of the federal solar tax credit and answers questions about eligibility to claim the credit. A list of expenses that can be included in the tax credit is provided, along with descriptions of how other incentives might affect the tax credit, such as payments for renewable energy certificates, state tax credits, and state rebates.
Federal Tax Credits for Businesses
This resource provides an overview of the tax credits available for businesses, including for purchase of solar energy systems. It includes a summary of the ITC and the PTC values from 2006 to 2033. The chart includes base rates and full rates for both credits.
The guide also explains which credit is right for you, what expenses are eligible for the ITC, and labor requirements for projects, as well as providing details on bonus credits, including a low-income bonus. You’ll also find descriptions of how tax-exempt organizations can benefit from the federal tax credit for businesses. You can also learn what happens to unused tax credits, including tax equity financing details and carryback and carryforward rules.
Federal Solar Tax Credits for Manufacturers
This resource explains the Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit (45X MPTC) and the Advanced Energy Project Investment Tax Credit (48C ITC) and helps manufacturers decide which tax credit is best for them, as they cannot claim both.
The guide summarizes eligibility guidelines for advanced manufacturing production tax credits, including PV module and subcomponents, PV inverters, PV tracking systems, batteries, and critical minerals. It includes a useful chart that shows when tax credits phase out and the tax credit for eligible U.S.-produced components in various years.
You’ll also find information of 48 ITC, including availability of credits, criteria for application, and details about the direct-pay option and transfer of credit for manufacturers.
This webinar discusses the broader implications of SETO’s Solar Futures Study analysis. It answers questions such as: Are there any incentives for nonprofit organizations to install clean energy devices—solar or heat pumps? Is there a sense of what the application process for the ITC for nontaxable entities will look like, and timing for when we might know? Do school districts qualify for the 30% ITC, and can non-tax entities pass the savings along to the installer or designer like E-Pact?
With these resources available, Americans can now confidently navigate the changes in the ITC resulting from the IRA. Homeowners, businesses, and manufacturers will benefit from the examples and explanations provided in these resources surrounding solar tax credits and incentives.
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