Episode 711

711: How Agrivoltaics is Doubling The Use of Scarce Land with Dan French and Dave Gahl

Published on: 25th June, 2024

How can we meet the growing demands for renewable energy without losing precious agricultural land? 

Agrivoltaics! It’s one of the most exciting growth sectors in solar energy! This approach leverages solar photovoltaic (PV) systems without losing the property’s agricultural capabilities, thus unlocking fertile and scarce land’s dual-use potential. 

Few have done as much to proliferate education on this topic as Dan French, Executive Producer of the Solar Farm Summit.  We recently had Dan take over as a stand-in host for Nico, and he invited Mr. Dave Gahl, Executive Director at the Solar and Storage Industries Institute to discuss all that agrivoltaic promises and what barriers still hold this promising vertical back.  

French and Gahl provide insights from the field where these practices are helping to stabilize farm revenue, enhance biodiversity, and support renewable energy goals. 

Expect to learn:

  • Key barriers to wider agrivoltaics adoption
  • How The Solar Farm Summit’s case studies help to standardize templates like grazing contracts and insurance agreements
  • Current funding opportunities for agrivoltaics projects

Discover how agrivoltaics is offering a win-win solution for farmers, energy producers, and the environment. 

And don’t miss out on the best annual agrivoltaics conference, happening in just a few weeks in Chicago - the www.solarfarmsummit.com!

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.

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Mentioned in this episode:

CPS July 2024 V2

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About the Podcast

SunCast
Your resource for developing a clean energy or climate tech career
Nico Johnson takes you into conversations with those at the forefront of Renewable Energy.

SunCast gives an inside look into what is happening in renewable energy. From conversations with the biggest Solar Panel manufacturers in the world to the small startups creating the future of renewable energy, such as carbon capture and battery technology breakthroughs.

SunCast is dedicated to providing the knowledge, research, tools and expert guidance you need to understand, grow and be ahead of the curve in the fastest-growing markets in the world.

Featuring over 600 conversations, Nico has interviewed people from Tesla, SolarCity, Trina Solar, Meyer Burger, Conergy, SunEdison, Energy Vault and even the US Government... to name a few. Covering topics such as Solar Power, Wind Energy, Batteries, Electric Vehicles, Carbon Capture, Finance, Hydrogen, and more.

You can watch SunCast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SunCastMedia

...or view the full archive of SunCast episodes here: https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes