Ayrton Fund’s Post

🕑 Save the date 🕑 Hear how ground breaking innovation can power agricultural productivity in PREO’s upcoming report launch webinar at 2pm (GMT) on 13th November. 📢 With Africa’s population projected to increase by 63% by 2050, the challenge of feeding a rapidly growing population is set to intensify 📈 . The latest report from PREO – ‘Cultivating Opportunities in Africa: Powering Agricultural Productivity Through Renewable Energy Integration’ - dives into this context and explores the opportunities for agriculture and food production to meet this challenge. 🌍 ✏️ Register below to secure your spot for the webinar on November 13th and hear insights from the PREO team along with PREO-funded innovators, sharing their insights on the potential that Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) technologies hold in agriculture to improve climate resilience and bolster food security. 🌱 Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eZKPRUmT SIMUSOLAR LIMITED, Koolboks, Heifer International, Good Nature Agro, IKEA Foundation, Energy 4 Impact, Transforming Energy Access, The Carbon Trust #Agriculture #Innovation #Renewable #Sustainablity

MAZZARINO 22.5 MW 🌍 Innovating Agriculture and Energy: Our Commitment to Agro-Photovoltaic Projects 🌞 In a world constantly seeking sustainable solutions, we are thrilled to share our growing commitment to agro-photovoltaic projects. This revolutionary synergy between agriculture and renewable energy represents a cornerstone of our vision for a greener, more sustainable future. 🌱 Agro-Photovoltaic: A Revolutionary Synergy 🌞 By integrating solar panels above cultivated fields, our projects not only facilitate clean energy production but also create a more favorable environment for crops, optimizing water use and increasing yields. This approach marks a significant step forward towards resilient agriculture and sustainable energy production. We are committed to: • Innovating: We leverage cutting-edge technologies to ensure maximum efficiency in both the energy and agricultural sectors. • Collaborating: Close collaboration with farmers is key to ensuring that our projects effectively meet the needs of communities and the environment. • Educating: We are dedicated to sharing knowledge and practices to promote widespread adoption of agro-photovoltaic technology. 🌟 Towards a Sustainable Future 🌟 We believe that agro-photovoltaic is not just a path to cleaner energy but also a key element for a resilient and sustainable agricultural future. Our commitment to these projects reflects our dedication to exploring and implementing solutions that benefit our planet and its communities. Stay connected to follow our progress and discover how, together, we can make a difference. #AgroPhotovoltaic #Sustainability #Innovation #RenewableEnergy #SustainableAgriculture

“IEA-PVPS launches action group on #agrivoltaics “ “IEA PVPS is about to start a new format for expert engagement: an Action Group on Agrovoltaics; a collaborative effort to harness the synergy between #agriculture and #solarenergygeneration . Through international cooperation and interdisciplinary engagement, the group aims to unlock the potential of agrivoltaics, optimizing land use efficiency, enhancing #agriculturalresilience to #climatechange , and fostering social consensus towards #solarenergy development.” MAY 20, 2024 - IEA-PVPS “In an age where the imperatives of #sustainability and #climateaction dominate global discourse, innovative approaches at the intersection of energy and agriculture have garnered increasing attention. Among these, agrivoltaics, a practice of combining #PVinstallations with #agriculturalactivities , presents a unique opportunity to address pressing challenges in #landuse , #climateresilience , and #energytransition . Recognizing its #transformativepotential and how it cuts across many other areas of research, the #InternationalEnergyAgency #PhotovoltaicPowerSystemsProgramme (#IEAPVPS) has established the Action Group on Agrivoltaics, an innovative format within the programme.” https://lnkd.in/eSunrHtv? Source- original post Read all my posts #MariusPreston

✨ Very proud to have worked with Lina D. on our Agrisolar Handbook launched today in Madrid. It started almost a year ago, during an afternoon of workshop at SolarPower Europe offices, with representatives from COPA COGECA, CEJA Young Farmers and European Agroforestry Federation (EURAF), later joined by European Landowners' Organization and FARM EUROPE. This will give you an idea of what are agrisolar technologies, because there are as many agrisolar projects are there are agricultural activities, what is the business models, and what do we know so far about their environmental and agronomic impacts. This wouldn't have been possible without the precious and constant advice of Eva Vandest, Stephan Schindele, Emilien Simonot and Antoine Mugnier. 💡 The Handbook is there to provide the right information to farmers about what solutions are there and what are the business models existing. 📃 But it has also been built to help political thinking on how we accompany and incentivise such technologies, especially as we are getting ready to revise the Common Agricultural Policy next year. ⏩ This is only the first step. If you want to be part of the next steps in the conversation join SolarPower Europe, and get in touch with Lina D.!

Did you know that smallholder farmers grow 80% of sub-Saharan Africa's food? That 80% of the region's rural population are smallholder farmers and only 29% of this population has access to electricity? As a result, smallholder farmers depend on rainfed agriculture and they are usually unable to process their crops. Lowering costs of solar water pumps and agro-processing equipment plays a key role in enabling adoption of this equipment, but there's more to the story. Our latest research, featured in the Environmental Development Journal, dives into the key factors influencing equipment feasibility, and ultimately adoption. Beyond price, the secret lies in equipment utilisation frequency and the value increase from processed or irrigated crops. These insights stem from our extensive work under the LEAP-RE programme, in collaboration with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).   Read the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/dwrB_yPq Visit our website to download more agri-energy resources: www.thefutureof.energy Manfred Hafner | Giacomo Falchetta | Gregory Ireland | Dimitris Mentis, PhD | Benson I.

🆕 SolarPower Europe launches its Agrisolar Handbook   The Agrisolar Handbook is a key tool for supporting both the farming sector and solar developers, to address climate, energy, and food security concerns.   The paper identifies ten archetypes for supporting profitable business models of agrisolar, as well as showcasing agrisolar’s multiple benefits for the farming and energy sectors, including:   🌾 Up to 60% crop yield increase 🌡 Up to +7°C increase of soil temperatures during cold weather periods, and up to – 6 °C decrease of soil temperatures during hot periods 🐝 Up to 60% increase in pollinators observed on one project   “The future of farming is critical to the EU's food independence and resilience. Agrisolar systems boost the farm’s revenue, which can support productive and sustainable investments, and strengthens the farm’s climate resilience on its energy transition journey.” - Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO SolarPower Europe   The report will be presented to industry experts and policymakers today at #AgriVoltaicsIFE in Madrid.   Read the press release 👉 https://lnkd.in/e4sFDDd7 Intersolar Conexio-PSE Metabolic

…you are a Farmer and/or a Land owner and you want to learn more about the Business Case you can have with participating in an Agri-PV Project? This handbook will provide you with helpful Information! Great Job SPE, Copa Cogeca, Metabolic, and all the contributions from the SPE Land Use and Permitting workstream:-) #agripv #agrivoltaics #agriculture

Bridging Renewable Energy & Indigenous Agriculture 🌱 Here's an emerging opportunity at the intersection of tribal renewable energy and Indigenous food systems: 🔋 Agrivoltaics & Traditional Farming Solar panels and traditional crops can work together. The panels provide shade and reduce water evaporation while creating protected spaces for drought-sensitive indigenous foods. 💰 Economic Integration Solar project revenue can support agricultural initiatives, power food processing facilities, and fund seed-saving programs. This creates jobs spanning both the energy and agriculture sectors. 💧 Smart Water Use Solar-powered irrigation combined with traditional water management practices shows promising water conservation results, particularly in drought-prone areas. 🎓 Knowledge Transfer These projects create natural knowledge-sharing spaces between generations, connecting traditional farming practices with clean energy innovation. 🏗️ Better Infrastructure Solar power enables better food storage, processing, and distribution - critical for strengthening local food systems. 🌎 Looking Ahead This integration of renewable energy with indigenous food systems opens new paths for tribal communities. It's a practical approach to building resilient, sustainable futures while honoring traditional practices. Solar farms on tribal lands provide significant economic benefits through revenue generation, job creation, cost savings, and increased energy independence. As more tribes embrace solar energy, these projects become potent tools for economic development and self-determination in Native American communities. DM your thoughts on combining renewable energy with regenerative farming. #IndigenousAgriculture #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #AgTech #TribalDevelopment

🌱 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶-𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀! ☀ ZHAW researchers have revealed that agrivoltaics (agri-PV) could supply 5x more electricity than Switzerland currently needs! By combining agriculture and solar energy, we can combat climate change while generating additional income from electricity production. 🔍 Key takeaways: • Over 300 TWh of potential energy production from agri-PV • Reduced soil erosion, crop protection, and shelter for livestock • A sustainable way to boost solar energy and agricultural resilience Although further research is needed to confirm the benefits for agriculture, agrivoltaics promises significant synergies. Agriculture can play a pivotal role in Switzerland's energy transition and benefit from it at the same time! 🌾⚡ 👉 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eZR-KUvR With Jürg Rohrer, Mareike Jäger, Beatrice Huber at ZHAW School of Life Sciences and Facility Management #Sustainability #Agrivoltaics #RenewableEnergy #ClimateAction #Switzerland

We are happy to share our latest article in pv magazine Global highlighting the launch of the new IEA PVPS Action Group on Agrivoltaics! This collaborative effort is set to revolutionize land use efficiency, enhance agricultural resilience, and drive consensus for sustainable solar development. Read more about the potential of agrivoltaics and the transformative impact it promises in our article: 👉 https://buff.ly/4bC6mOw #SolarInnovation #Agrivoltaics #Sustainability"