University of Illinois Extension
Attend field day to learn how agrivoltaics boosts energy, resiliency in food production

[July 12, 2024]     Continuing to feed a growing world is the agriculture industry's future, and the demand for sustainability is here. One avenue of exploration includes agrivoltaics or solar energy within production agriculture.

“The relatively recent idea combines solar panels for electricity generation within agricultural production to improve land use efficiency and farmer incomes,” says Dennis Bowman, University of Illinois Extension digital agriculture specialist.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is part of the SCAPES, Sustainably Collocating Agricultural and Photovoltaic Electricity Systems, project funded by USDA-NIFA to study agrivoltaics at three locations in Illinois, Arizona, and Colorado.

The Illinois location of the project focuses on the potential of combining agronomic crops such as soybeans, sorghum, and pasture crops with solar power generation.

To hear about research and participate in the discussion, attend the Agrivoltaics Field Day at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 24, at the University of Illinois Energy Farm at 4110 S. Race St., Urbana.

Agrivoltaics Field Day presentation topics include:

• Explore the scope of the Illinois SCAPES research project.

• Learn the economics of agrivoltaic installations in the Midwest.

• Discover the potential of agronomic and specialty crops in agrivoltaics.

• Consider practical insights in agrivoltaic systems.

• Tour of the university’s 54-acre Solar Farm 2.0 agronomic agrivoltaic plot.

The field day allows attendees to see an agrivoltaics system and ask questions to better understand the possibilities of combining agronomic crops with solar power generation to improve farmers’ economic incomes and resilience.

There is no cost to attend the field day. CPDUs and CEUs are available for those who qualify. To check out the full agenda and speakers, visit go.illinois.edu/Agrivoltaics24.

The event is grant-funded and hosted by the Department of Crop Sciences, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, SCAPES, Illinois Extension, and the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, contact Dennis Bowman at [e-mail] or call 217-244-0851. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet access needs.

ABOUT ILLINOIS EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities. Illinois Extension is part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

[SOURCE: Dennis Bowman, digital agriculture specialist, Illinois Extension
WRITER: Jenna Braasch, media communications coordinator, Illinois Extension]