Read all about it...
Please help us congratulate our graduate student Tyler Swanson - he has just published his first in a series of authored and co-authored papers on the social science dimensions of our team's agrivoltaics work.
Here is a link to the paper in Journal of Rural Studies:
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1kQ%7Em2eyKFzA-1
In Tyler's own words, What did we find?
Solar energy was generally opposed by farmers and government officials alike, though this opposition was grounded in different ideologies. Farmers tend to oppose solar energy because it consumes agricultural land, while government officials tend to oppose solar energy because it consumes economically valuable land and vocal public opposition.
Government officials hold a positive perception of agrivoltaics; in some cases, local governments have already established zoning policies for agrivoltaics. However, farmers are uncertain whether agrivoltaics is compatible with their traditional crops (primarily cotton and alfalfa) and don't trust solar developers to faithfully engage in developing agrivoltaic projects.
Expanding knowledge and adoption of agrivoltaics necessitates increased information distribution from local agricultural organizations, such as university extension agencies and farm bureaus. Further, supporting policy frameworks that clearly outline the requirements associated with developing an agrivoltaic system may increase developers' willingness to design agrivoltaic projects.
Here is a link to the paper in Journal of Rural Studies:
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1kQ%7Em2eyKFzA-1
In Tyler's own words, What did we find?
Solar energy was generally opposed by farmers and government officials alike, though this opposition was grounded in different ideologies. Farmers tend to oppose solar energy because it consumes agricultural land, while government officials tend to oppose solar energy because it consumes economically valuable land and vocal public opposition.
Government officials hold a positive perception of agrivoltaics; in some cases, local governments have already established zoning policies for agrivoltaics. However, farmers are uncertain whether agrivoltaics is compatible with their traditional crops (primarily cotton and alfalfa) and don't trust solar developers to faithfully engage in developing agrivoltaic projects.
Expanding knowledge and adoption of agrivoltaics necessitates increased information distribution from local agricultural organizations, such as university extension agencies and farm bureaus. Further, supporting policy frameworks that clearly outline the requirements associated with developing an agrivoltaic system may increase developers' willingness to design agrivoltaic projects.
We are presenting our latest updates on the project at the 2024 SETO (Solar Energy Technology Office) Peer Review Meeting. Here is our poster:
We are officially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technology Office to study
Foundational Agrivoltaic Research at the Megawatt Scale (FARMS)!
Foundational Agrivoltaic Research at the Megawatt Scale (FARMS)!
