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Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

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Ribbon Cutting by RAP Lead David Specca and event speakers

A sincere thank you from Program Lead David Specca and the RAP team to the 80+ people who attended the Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program ribbon cutting ceremony at the Rutgers Animal Farm in New Brunswick, NJ! Special thanks to the speakers who applauded the research and outreach efforts of the Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program and discussed the potential impacts of agrivoltaics for both the agricultural and solar industries in New Jersey: Rutgers Executive Dean Laura Lawson, Rutgers Senior Vice Provost of Research Denise Hien, New Jersey Senator Bob Smith, New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Commissioner Marian Abdou, United States Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) Director Becca Jones-Albertus, and New Jersey Assemblywoman Andrea Katz

David Specca, Rutgers Agrivoltaic Program Lead, describes the scope of the research and demonstration project.

“We define agrivoltaics as systems that allow for a more diverse range of agricultural or horticultural practices, including grazing large animals, producing staple and specialty crops, and hay,” Specca said. “Our approach emphasizes food production and considers the generated electricity as a low-risk and supplemental income for farmers.”

David Specca and invited speakers on stage addresing the crowd.
Attendees gathered for the ribbon cutting

Attendees gather at the field gate for the ribbon cutting. The vertical solar panel arrays can be seen in the right background and the shade structures for the cattle can be seen in the left background. Solar panels will be installed on the tops of the shade structures.

Their first day around the solar arrays, the cows were curious and happy, walking the length of one of three experimental “blocks”. The cows will be rotated through each block, their grazing patterns measured, and forage quality analyzed to determine the affects of shading from the solar arrays.

Cows grazing among solar panel arrays

Photo Gallery

Media coverage Links

Rutgers Today: Rutgers-New Brunswick inaugurates state-of-the-art agrivoltaics research and demonstration project for simultaneous production of food and solar energy

NJ Spotlight News: Rutgers University: Cows and a new innovation in solar energy

Agrivoltaics research a focus of the RAREC twilight meeting

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The agrivoltaics research at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC) was a focus of the 2024 RAREC twilight tour on 19 Sep that was attended by stakeholders and Extension personnel from around the state. Dr. Dan Ward, RAREC Director and RAP Team member, spoke to the attendees at length about the challenges, costs, and the potential economic rewards of establishing the agrivoltaics research plots at the station and what roles the Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program (RAP) Team has across the state and region.

Figure 1. Dr. Dan Ward speaking with attendees in front of the specialty crops research block at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC).

Dr. Ward answered many important questions about the logistics and potential of establishing farm land as a dual-use source of income using agrivoltiac panels and the ground beneath to grow crops. In addition with the research currently being conducted on specialty crops and soybean at RAREC, other work is currently being done at the Animal Farm on the Rutgers-SEBS campus in New Brunswick and at the Clifford E. and Melda C. Snyder Research and Extension Farm in Pittstown, New Jersey.

Figure 2. Soybean research plots being watered with overhead irrigation at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center near Bridgeton, New Jersey.

Members of the RAP team have worked closely with NJ-BPU to help facilitate and begin the implementation of the dual-use solar program in New Jersey as well as with the American Farmland Trust over the past three years to be the source of information for agrivoltaics research, education, and training for stakeholders in New Jersey and throughout the region.

Articles and images can be used by Permission from the Rutgers RAPS Team only – For Permission contact RAPS at shawn.sorrels@rutgers.edu.

Agri-Technology and Research Twilight Meeting at RAREC

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Agri-Technology and Research Twilight Meeting at RAREC
Thursday September 19th, 2024
4 pm until dark

Location: Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC)
121 Northville Road
Bridgeton, New Jersey 08302

This year’s twilight meeting at RAREC will continue to showcase new agricultural technologies for stakeholders in the state. We will showcase the newly operating agrivoltaics system with specialty crops (fresh-market tomatoes, bell pepper, and eggplant) and soybeans growing beneath them and discuss new technologies for autonomous weeding. Specialists will also discuss their research and provide updates on fiber hemp, Christmas trees, native plants, invasive fruit pests, and vegetable disease.

Speakers:

Tim Waller, Cumberland County RCE Nursery Agent. “Nursery and Ornamental Research: Christmas Tree Pathology Studies and Native Plant Demonstrations”

Dan Ward, Director, RAREC. “Agrivoltaics for NJ: Progress and Promise”

Raul Cabrera, Extension Specialist in Nursery Production and Management. “Fiber Hemp and Weeds”

Ann Nielsen, Extension Specialist in Entomology. “Incorporating Insect Behavior into Management of Invasive Fruit Pests”

Thierry Besancon, Extension Weed Specialist for Specialty Crops. “Update on new technologies for weed management in sweet corn”

Andy Wyenandt, Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology. “Updates on vegetable disease control”