Post by Kathryn Beros

Agrivoltaics is one of the most exciting and underexplored frontiers in California agriculture right now and the next generation of agrivoltaics researchers are up for the challenge. This week I was honored to be included alongside guest lecturers from American Farmland Trust and National Laboratory of the Rockies, covering agrivoltaics topics for students at Bakersfield College and Porterville College completing the The California Renewable Energy Laboratory (CREL) Agrivoltaics Research Project. In my session we covered compatibility and flexibility, including the criteria for assessment, the need for continued creativity and innovation, and most importantly, the value of being honest about what we still don't know. The students brought exactly the right questions. We talked about water reduction benefits and pairing agrivoltaics with dairy operations. Dairy systems were something the research project I led at Columbia Climate School, advised by Thomas Abdallah, P.E., LEED AP, didn't touch on, but absolutely should be on our radar. It's a space that deserves attention and I'm excited to see what their research yields in April. I'm looking forward to continuing the compatibility conversation at the HARVEST California Growers Forum on April 28. We'll be bringing growers, ag advisors, and energy professionals together to work through what's possible, and what we still need to figure out. 🌱 Forever grateful to the beautiful researchers I had the pleasure to work alongside in this critical agriculture and energy hub: Connor Bercik Craig Szot Olivia Whitener Jithamanyu Thoppey Ryan Levitt Thomas Turnbull Dylan Grant, PE Sharah Saputra Isabella Horstmann Marios Kostits Pasialis Hallyena Risfenti & Tony ✨