Vertical Bifacial Solar Panels: A Winning Solution for Agrivoltaics and Farmers
Northeast Sustainable Agriculture and Education Innovation Program (NE SARE), Principal Investigators: Bruce L. Parker and Margaret Skinner. Project LNE22-454R
In 2021, the NE SARE Innovation Program funded UVM to showcase a highly efficient farming-friendly solar agrivoltaic system using vertical bifacial solar panels, which at that time would be the first time in the US. Data gathered will quantify the economic, agricultural, and environmental advantages of this system for Northeastern farmers. This is a public/private project. A Vermont-based company, iSun Energy Inc., has agreed to erect a trial vertical array at the UVM Horticultural Research and Education Center in South Burlington, VT.
Vertical Bifacial Solar Technology at the University of Vermont
InSPIRE Agriculture and Solar Together: Research Opportunities (ASTRO) Seed Grant
InSPIRE ASTRO, the advisory committee to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s study of PV solar designs provides small grants to support novel agrivoltaic research for junior researchers including undergraduates and graduate students. Laura Eckman, UVM Ph.D. Student and Gwen Slatten, Undergraduate Student both received funding from this program to support their work on the vertical solar project.
Optimizing the Co-Production of Vegetables and Renewable Electricity Between Vertical Bifacial Solar Panels.
University of Vermont Sustainable Campus Fund Innovation Research Project Award
Principal Investigator: Laura Eckman, UVM Ph.D. Candiate
Combining food and solar power production on the same land, called agrivoltaics, can result in increased total output. Factors such as solar panel orientation and crop type impact the success of these systems. Vertical bifacial solar systems offer unique opportunities to maximize on agricultural production while generating renewable energy from the sun. Funds from this grant are being used to supplement the NE SARE project, allowing us to purchase additional equipment to monitor environmental conditions around the vertical bifacial panels. This support will also enable the researchers to collect more comprehensive data on crop production within and outside the solar array.
Agrivoltaics in Europe
University of Vermont Graduate Student Development Award
Recipient: Laura Eckman, UVM Ph.D. Candidate
This award enabled Laura to visit several vertical agrivoltaic installations in Germany. She visited sites where animals were grazed within vertical solar arrays as well as places where pasture land and vertical bifacial panels were combined.