To further evaluate land use potential for solar development and help New Yor State achieve its ambitious clean energy goals, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and EPRI, through an American Public Power Association (APPA) Demonstration of Energy and Efficiency Developments (DEED) grant, are examining the feasibility of “agrivoltaics” (AV) as a dual land-use solution. In the context of this research, agrivoltaics is a technological evolution of solar ecosystem stewardship, looking at agricultural crops, livestock grazing, and wildlife co-habitation as an aspect of solar co-land management to maintain the natural environment and agricultural benefit while generating solar energy. This study uses a compendium of agrivoltaics research to explore ways to optimize both agricultural yield and solar photovoltaic (PV) energy capacity.
This project was completed in collaboration with EPRI Program 252.
Program 252: Environmental Aspects of Solar Supplemental Program | Program Home (epri.com)