Interstellar_Go’s Post

🌬️ Wind Industry Update: A New Era for Agriculture The DOE and USDA have initiated a groundbreaking program aimed at revolutionizing the agricultural sector by integrating wind energy solutions. This initiative is not just about providing green energy; it's about reshaping the future of farming, making it more sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. Key highlights include: ✅ Support for farmers transitioning to renewable energy. ✅ Efforts to decrease carbon footprints while increasing profitability. ✅ Provision of technical and financial resources to adopt wind technology. ✅ This collaborative effort signifies a major leap towards achieving a balance between agricultural productivity and environmental conservation. Dive deeper into the transformative impact of this initiative on the farming community and the wind industry here. Read more: https://zurl.co/SeD4 #WindEnergy #SustainableFarming #DOE #USDA #RenewableEnergy #IndustryNews

Green pass for major solar and battery project, so long as it avoids koala and snake habitat

🌞🌾 Embracing sustainable energy requires careful consideration of its impact on farmland. A recent case in Indiana highlights the delicate balance between renewable energy development and agricultural preservation. At Flower Turbines, we understand the value of every square foot. Our innovative wind turbines, designed to utilize our unique "Bouquet Effect," enhance energy output without occupying extensive land. This allows for a harmonious blend of sustainable energy and agricultural productivity, ensuring that our solutions make the most of your space, proving that you can yield more zoom in less room.🌷💨 https://lnkd.in/dmsaxdmZ #SustainableEnergy #Innovation #Agriculture #FlowerTurbines #BouquetEffect

Solar vs. Prairie Chicken alert! A proposal to build the state's largest solar farm is getting pushback from both hunters and birdwatchers, who have until Friday to comment on the project. WWF supports renewable energy development in WI, including the Vista Sands but they are simply asking that the project size be reduced by 20 to 30 percent to provide a buffer between the large solar arrays and the neighboring conservation lands that serve as lekking grounds for prairie chickens. https://lnkd.in/gGfCrfCK

The 300 MW Cambridge solar and battery project in Queensland, featuring agrivoltaics, has received environmental approval, paving the way for an innovative approach to renewable energy. By planting native grasses and introducing grazing animals, the project aims to boost biodiversity, reduce irrigation needs, and limit chemical use. Part of a larger $1.7 billion plan, it will help create a renewable energy hub in Queensland’s Renewable Energy Zone. Construction is set to begin in late 2025, with commissioning expected by late 2026. Read about it here - https://lnkd.in/gKW2uTbg Source: RenewEconomy Author: Rachel Williamson Mentions: Tanya Plibersek #SolarEnergy #BatteryStorage #RenewableEnergy #Agrivoltaics #AusEnergy

On the back of our previous article highlighting the benefits that renewable energy projects can bring to Landowners (https://lnkd.in/e_3QsE7c), it is great to see some of these in action through one of Innova recent co-located solar and battery projects. #innova #renewableenergy

Research on soil health is pivotal to demonstrating the environmental benefits of #agrivoltaics. One of the prime inputs any farmer needs is healthy soil. American Farmland Trust's new partnership with Sol Systems will create living laboratories to study soil health within solar arrays. Our goal is to help build the case that integrating renewable energy generation and agricultural production at scale can have wide-ranging benefits for farmers, communities, and the environment.

Despite thriving on the same types of land, solar energy and farms don’t have to be competitors. This week, we’re looking around the country at new projects where panels and pastures exist in harmony. Agrivoltaics projects take hold in the northeast 🐑 Sheep and solar are a dream couple: sheep trim plants around solar installations, keeping the site tidy, while constantly returning nutrients to the soil. Already, 2% of sheep in the U.S. graze under solar panels, according to the American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA). (https://shorturl.at/zrMK0) In northern Massachusetts, for example, the Boston Globe Media recently profiled the win-win-win story of 215 sheep grazing for free on a 20-acre solar farm that was once an abandoned apple orchard. (https://shorturl.at/lkzQM) Forty-five other solar operations in Massachusetts share land with farmers, and the practice is growing in upstate New York, where Pivot Energy recently completed a 22 MW solar farm where sheep will graze. (https://shorturl.at/vDHG9) Wisconsin’s largest solar farm brings home the bacon 🐖 Bob Bishop used to raise pigs on 2,000 acres in southwestern Wisconsin. Today, Bishop’s land houses more than 800,000 bifacial solar panels, which in the winter soak up sunlight reflecting off the region’s notorious snow. The solar is good for the region—the 300 MW operation can serve up to 90,000 homes—and good for Bishop, who still owns the land and leases it to developer We Energies. (https://shorturl.at/xm9uR) Virginia seeks balance between solar’s benefits and costs ⚖️ In May, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality published new solar regulations that include mitigations for solar developers whose projects disturb agricultural soils or forest lands. The suggestions—in response to a House bill proposed in 2022—encourage good practices like agrivoltaics and minimum topsoil disruption, says an op-ed by Ivy Main in The Virginia Mercury. But mitigation regulations ignore solar’s inherent benefits, and their costs are often passed onto consumers in the form of higher rates, threatening development in the ninth-largest solar state in the country. (https://shorturl.at/LGmcU) #agrivoltaics #renewableenergy #solar #solarenergy #farms #solarfarms

With Australia aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 43% by 2030, regional Western Australia is seeing a surge in renewable energy proposals, which is leading to real economic and sustainability benefits while raising concerns about agricultural resources. There is currently a lack of comprehensive guidelines for renewable energy project impacts on land and communities. It is important that renewable energy projects don’t hinder agricultural productivity and community wellbeing, which is why there needs to be policies on how we ensure national food security and fair community engagement in decision making. #renewableenergy #agriculture #sustainability

We're thrilled to announce an innovative partnership between Sol Systems and the American Farmland Trust to usher in a new era of solar development alongside ecosystem-focused land use practices! Our collaborative efforts will kick off with a 3-year Sponsorship Agreement focusing on 'Smart Solar' initiatives aimed at harmonizing agriculture and renewable energy integration. This partnership underscores our commitment to nurturing the land while harnessing the sun's power. Additionally, our 4-year Research Agreement will explore soil health across 2,000 acres on six solar sites. This groundbreaking research aims to reshape our approach to combining solar energy and agriculture, showcasing the mutual benefits for the environment and energy production. Join us on this innovative journey toward a sustainable future where agriculture meets solar energy's limitless potential. Together, we're laying the groundwork for a greener, more resilient planet. See News: https://bit.ly/3TPiC7Y #Sustainability #RenewableEnergy #SolarEnergy #Agriculture #Innovation #Partnership