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“Curiosity Cultivates Solar Solutions: Innovating Agrivoltaics for a Sustainable Future” – An article from the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute (RCEI)

By Aleen Mirza

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“Curiosity may have killed the cat, but for RCEI Affiliate Dunbar Birnie, it sparked a decades-long passion for solar energy and innovation. From collecting geodes and shiny rocks as a child to creating one of Rutgers’ first courses on solar energy over 25 years ago, Birnie’s fascination with the physical world and drive to learn has fueled his research and fulfilling career in materials science and engineering.”

“To date, one of Birnie’s notable projects is his involvement in the Rutgers’ Agrivoltaics Program which brings together an ambitious interdisciplinary team tackling two critical issues: the growing demand for solar power and the preservation of farmland for crop production.” 

Read More: https://rcei.rutgers.edu/curiosity-cultivates-solar-solutions-innovating-agrivoltaics-for-a-sustainable-future/

Dual-Use Solar Pilot Program Pre-Qualification

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January 6, 2025 – Staff of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (Board) (Staff) invites all interested parties to submit Expression of Interests (EOIs) for pre-qualification into the Dual-Use Solar Energy Pilot Program (Pilot Program). The linked notice includes instructions for how to complete and submit an EOI. The deadline for submitting EOIs is 11:59:59 P.M. on February 14, 2025. More information is provided in the Public Notice. The EOI form is accessible, here. Additional assistance in completing an EOI can be found, here.

Visit the Dual-Use Solar Pilot Program webpage for more information.

Soybean harvest at RAREC

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Harvesting of soybeans in a double panel AV research plot at RAREC in southern New Jersey on 6 November 2024.
Harvesting of soybeans in a double panel AV research plot at RAREC in southern New Jersey.

On 6 November 2024 the soybean research plots were harvested at RAREC. In the late afternoon the day prior to harvesting the soybeans, the RAPS Team carefully evaluated how close our small research combine could get the the agrivoltaic panels to harvest in a safe manner.

Determining the safest distance to the agrivoltiacs panels for soybean harvest.

On the morning of 6 November the agrivoltaic panels were turned off with the emergency switch in each panel row while they were facing due east in their most upright position to keep them from tracking the sun during the day. This allowed the eastern most and center rows between the agrivoltaic panels to be harvested in the morning.

Turning off the panels required the use of a step ladder where on the double panel AV arrays the emergency switch was about 10 ft off the ground.

By midday, with the eastern and middle rows harvested. The panels were turned back on where they were allowed to track back into their correct position where they would be for the day. In the mid-afternoon when the panels reached their most upright western facing position the panels were once again turned off to allow for the harvesting of the western most soybean plots between the panels.

Harvesting of an eastern most plot of soybeans in a single panel AV array in the morning. Note the center pass has already been completed.
Harvesting of an eastern most plot of soybeans in a double panel AV array in the morning as the AV panels are facing due east.
Harvesting of an eastern most plot of soybeans in a single panel AV array in the morning. Note the unharvested soybeans to the left that were closest to the array.

In each block, three passes of the combine were done. The center pass was done on center at 17 ft between the array panel rows. One additional pass was done on the eastern (right) and western side (left) of the research plot as close as we could safely get to the panels with the combine. This left about a one foot wide area of soybean on each side.

In total 36 plots of soybeans were harvested. Once all soybeans were harvested they were taken back to the lab for weight and moisture analysis. Samples will be sent to an outside lab for further analysis. Data collected from this trial will be presented at local and regional Extension meetings this winter and upcoming spring.

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