Renewables First Ltd’s Post

At Shawton Energy, we’re committed to advancing the farming sector by introducing affordable, long-term, sustainable energy solutions designed explicitly for agricultural structures.   Investing in solar panels for farm buildings is a forward-thinking approach that conserves energy and sets an example of responsibility and innovation for generations to come.   Our hands-on and farm-focused approach ensures that every system maximises efficiency, durability and cost-effectiveness. Solar PV is a wise investment that pays off immediately and in the long run.   Find out more about our Solar PV solutions for the agricultural sector 👇   💻 https://lnkd.in/e7rf4dsN   #Shawton #ShawtonEnergy #Energy #NetZero #NetZeroTargets #Decarbonisation #Solar #SolarPower #RenewableEnergy #EnergyBills #NetZeroCarbon #PowerPurchaseAgreement #Sustainability #SustainableFuture #CleanEnergy #SolarProjects

Hi @@followers we would love to share this with you. MJS Energy and Scala Renewables Group successfully implemented a comprehensive renewable energy solution at a poultry farm, consisting of a 90kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system and a 126kWh battery storage system. The solar PV system efficiently captures and converts sunlight into electricity, providing a sustainable and cost-effective source of power for the poultry farm’s operations. The accompanying 126kWh battery storage system ensures uninterrupted energy supply, addressing the specific needs of a poultry farm where continuous and reliable power is crucial for maintaining optimal environmental conditions. This tailored energy infrastructure not only reduces the farm’s reliance on conventional energy sources but also contributes to a significant reduction in carbon emissions, promoting environmental stewardship. The integration of renewable energy technologies enhances the farm’s operational efficiency and long-term sustainability, aligning with the broader trend of adopting clean and resilient energy solutions in the agricultural sector. MJS Energy and Scala renewables Group’s successful completion of this project exemplifies their commitment to advancing sustainable energy practices in diverse agricultural and commercial settings. https://lnkd.in/ebuGprnW

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is the fastest growing energy industry and one of the most environmentally promising methods to obtain a sustainable energy system. It’s quite appealing to think that less than 1% farmland is required for agrivoltaics to meet 20% of US electric generation. Of course, there are issues to be managed with solar farms, including the task of avoiding panel shading and damage from vine and tree growth, which can cause reduced electricity production. Vegetation management with sheep is an emerging industry, as sheep and solar have multiple benefits for farmers. Land productivity can be greatly increased because sheep grazing is constant, and added value that comes with choosing sheep as a vegetative detergent is generated by the PV. The Boston Globe recently chronicled a pair of farmers from Fitchburg, Massachusetts as they kept watch over a flock of more than 200 sheep. Jesse and Elspeth Robertson-Dubois anticipated the expanding fuzzy huddle under a row of solar panels as the heat of the day rose. That row was part of the 15,000 solar panels that make up the Fitchburg Renewables solar farm. The project generates clean energy and feeds it into the Unitil grid. The site is also equipped with a 2.5 MW / 5.2 MWh battery energy storage system. This farm was converted from an abandoned apple orchard 3 years ago into a 20-acre solar farm. The owner of the panels, solar company Nexamp, is leasing the land from the orchard owner for 25 years. The Robertson-Dubois family owns Finicky Farms, and they are paid by Nexamp for keeping the vegetation low. They also get to graze their herd, which they process and sell locally as lamb. As the American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA) notes, farm incomes are down, and solar grazing allows farmers to increase and diversify revenues without taking land out of food production. #agriculture #solargrazing #solarpanels

RES has submitted a planning application for the 49.9 MW Nuneham Solar Farm to South Oxfordshire District Council. If approved, the new solar project in Nuneham Courtenay will be capable of providing clean power for over over 13,000 homes and displacing 20,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum. RES said the proposal has undergone a detailed design process, including a number of site surveys, assessments, and feedback from the community and stakeholders. In addition to the amendments, RES’s latest solar farm has been designed to include several biodiversity measures, including sheep farming, hedgerow and native tree planting. “Enhancing local biodiversity is important to RES as demonstrated by a comprehensive Landscape Masterplan which we have submitted alongside our planning application,” commented Claire Chamberlain, Development Project Manager at RES. “This sets out immediate and long-term commitments to manage planting and other landscape measures and shows how our Nuneham Solar Farm proposal has the potential to deliver a biodiversity net gain of 70%.  “Solar projects are quick to deploy, enable more energy to be generated domestically improving security of supply and contribute to Net Zero targets. They are also the cheapest form of new electricity generation, alongside other renewable technologies, which makes developments like Nuneham not just good for the environment but for the consumer too.” #cleanenergy

In 2022, a total of 116,758 U.S. farms had solar panels, a 30% increase compared with 90,142 in 2017. From the article: "Renewable energy helps farms become more sustainable ..." Further: "Demand for renewables has also provided underlying support for farmland values, as owners seek to make money from the shift to clean energy." https://lnkd.in/gVDis-aM

DSD Renewables (DSD) has partnered with Energy Support Services (ESS), an O&M and Asset Management support provider, to launch an agrivoltaics solution for managing vegetation at DSD’s solar energy site in Winchester, Virginia. “Agrivoltaics is a very cost-efficient and innovative vegetation management strategy that allows solar to be installed in areas that might not have been considered otherwise,” said Conrad Gross, ESS GM. DSD’s 1.8 MW ground-mounted solar project is located on 7 acres of rocky terrain and exposed stone, which made mowing and maintaining the site under the arrays impossible due to the risk of solar panel and mowing equipment damage. To solve this, ESS reached out to Katahdin Acres, a member of the American Solar Grazing Association, to employ sheep and pigs to manage the solar site’s vegetation through grazing. According to ESS, the maintenance costs of grazing are 60% of what it would cost to mow the same acreage once. ESS, DSD Renewables, and Katahdin Acres all collaborated to address any concerns from residents in the local community about the animals’ welfare, including what they would eat and drink, whether shelters would be made available, and how they would be protected from wildlife. To save energy & cost for your business, contact me at https://buff.ly/2EjAMbu. #Reliability #EnergyStorage #EnergyEfficiency #Renewables #EnergyAudit #Procurement #Resilience https://buff.ly/4eDxeQm

While solar power can be inexhaustible during sunny days, solar facilities require a lot of land, which poses a particular challenge on flat, sunny terrains that are also typically used for farming. In the Philippines, the growth of #solar PV technology is projected to take up significant agricultural space. As a rule of thumb, a hectare of land can be used to build a megawatt of solar #energy capacity or produce about four metric tons of rice each year. How do we address this?

We've teamed up with some of Europe's best to research and transform Agri-PV adoption 🌱 ☀️ As land for projects becomes increasingly scarce, it is important to understand the synergies and land use patterns in solar development in order to weigh the trade-offs associated with land conversion. In line with REPowerEU's plan to increase PV capacity to 1000 GW by 2030, Agri-PV is poised to play a critical role in this expansion. Recognizing the need for comprehensive research on agricultural crop yield, PV production, and water consumption, we at Glint Solar are happy to announce our collaboration with kiloWattsol, Danish Renewables and Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE. This partnership focuses on integrating PV technology with agriculture to accelerate the adoption of Agri-PV. We couldn't be more excited and grateful to our incredible research partners! The project directly addresses the pressing global challenges of a projected 50% increase in agricultural production and a 15% increase in water demand by 2050—both vital for sustaining the expected population of 9 billion. In addition to optimizing energy output and reducing water consumption, the project aligns with the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive, which calls for 45% of energy to come from renewable sources by 2030. Our CEO Harald Olderheim commented, "Agri-PV represents a rapidly expanding sector within the solar market. We're excited to collaborate with industry-leading partners to provide solar developers with the latest insights and tools for efficient project deployment." For our part, we'll be developing a specialized software tool tailored for utility-scale developers that will provide deeper insight and support for the deployment of Agri-PV across Europe. We'll keep you updated on our progress! 🌱 Agri-PV is about creating a sustainable synergy between food production and solar energy. 🔗 Want to know more? Check out the full press release on our website: https://hubs.ly/Q02v0fN20 #AgriPV #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #SolarEnergy #Innovation #GlintSolar

The expansion of solar energy production is progressing rapidly, while at the same time politicians have set themselves ambitious goals. Ground-mounted systems are set to play a key role, particularly systems on agricultural land. “We have developed special expertise in agrivoltaics in particular,” said Markus W. Voigt, CEO of the aream. The sun is the energy source of the future. In the planned expansion of solar energy in Germany, particular attention is being paid to open spaces: car parks, industrial plants and agricultural land. At the end of 2023, they accounted for around a third of all installations. According to the EEG, half of the future expansion is to take place on open spaces, with an additional capacity of almost ten GW being targeted from 2025. Agri-PV, i.e. the installation of solar systems on agricultural land, could become a core technology. It is still in its infancy in Germany. However, its advantages are undeniable. Agri-PV allows the multiple utilisation of land, increasing the efficiency of its use and thus reducing competition for scarce sites. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, electricity generation with agri-PV requires a maximum of 15% of agricultural land, meaning that at least 85% of the land remains available for agriculture. In addition, horizontal agri-PV systems can protect the soil from the sun and drying out, while vertical systems can protect it from wind erosion. In addition, there are further advantages such as the integration of PV systems into the landscape, farmers can diversify their income and value creation in rural areas is increased. “All of this ensures a high level of acceptance of agrivoltaics among farmers and the population,” said Voigt. However, the development of the corresponding areas is a complex challenge for project developers. Firstly, suitable locations must be found in a targeted manner using AI-based geoinformation systems. Integrated feasibility analyses for ground-mounted systems and agri-PV are created in a preliminary assessment. Acquirers are then sent out to secure the sites and initiate projects. “We believe we are well positioned in this process,” explained Voigt. “Because aream covers the entire value chain, from securing land to the ongoing operation of the plants.” By the end of 2025, aream intends to develop more than 500 MWp of solar plants to construction maturity. In addition, the pipeline includes a potential of three GWp of solar and four GW of storage. #cleanenergy