So-called agrivoltaic sites, which combine large-scale solar arrays with crop production or raising livestock, have been gaining attention in recent years. This has been largely thanks to their unique ability to maximize land use while also generating additional income for solar array owners.
Now, one university has revealed the Southeast's first agrivoltaics training site.
Beginning in spring, North Carolina State University in Raleigh will use it for researchers and students to gain a better understanding of how best to manage agrivoltaic sites, according to Solar Power World.
Combining solar panels with grazing sheep, the site's founders hope that it will help to revolutionize both industries.
"This training site isn't just about solar energy," assistant professor Andrew Weaver said, per Solar Power World. "It's about pioneering the future of sheep production — a future that is more resilient, productive, and profitable for North Carolina and the world."
A course called Agrivoltaics in Action: Enhancing Operations and Maintenance in Livestock-Integrated Solar Sites will train a new generation of specialists in both solar operations and sheep production.
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In the process, the researchers behind the initiative hope to help both the environment and local economies.
"Grazing sheep on solar farms offers a multitude of benefits for the solar and sheep industry," Weaver explained, according to Solar Power World. "These benefits include reduced mowing needs and more cost-effective vegetation management, farmland preservation, improved public perception, and career opportunities for local sheep producers."
By combining large-scale solar arrays with agricultural practices, agrivoltaic sites generate additional revenue for solar-array owners. This can make such operations more profitable, incentivizing investment in cleaner, renewable solar energy.
The training site is the product of a joint collaboration among NC State's Clean Energy Technology Center, the Department of Animal Science, and Nevados, a manufacturer of solar tracking systems.
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