Final report for SPDP24-024
Project Information
Agrivoltaics (farming with assistance of solar energy) is a relatively new concept with practical applications for farmers, community gardeners, and related agricultural ventures. While there are excellent examples of Agrivoltaic pioneers, such as Jack’s Solar Garden in Colorado, and others, there is a notable absence of this effort in Alabama. Little USA, with the help of local community members, Institutions that produce industry leaders including Auburn and Tuskegee Universities, and regional partners, will develop a cohort of instructors, plan, and resources to build innovative sustainable agricultural practices in Alabama and the Black Belt region.
As we develop a training and certification program for Solar Energy careers and applications within the agricultural economy of the Black Belt region, we are confronted with a lack of trainers within our region for these targeted career opportunities. This project will be the cornerstone of an ongoing program in partnership with established institutions, including Auburn and Tuskegee universities, local industry partners plus assistance from Jack’s Solar Garden, to build a model for innovation in the region over the longer term.
LittleUSA (LUSA) Community Solar Campus is a 22 acre property located in Union Springs in the Black Belt region of rural Alabama, donated by the Hall-Jordan Allen Family Trust, to fulfill a mission of bringing economic opportunity through education and workforce development in sustainable energy and agriculture.
Our investment in the community will ensure that generations continue to thrive starting with education and career opportunities in the $881 billion Green Energy economy.
Main Project Objectives:
The objectives of this project are multifaceted and transdisciplinary, bringing together the expertise of educators, practitioners and stakeholders who can extend their knowledge to empower grassroot communities with knowledge and capacity building skills.
Create the Cohort: LUSA’s first step will be to gather a group of educators and others interested in developing innovative tools for agriculture and renewable energy and for teaching. The cohort will include professors at universities in the region, instructors at community colleges, farm to fork activists, representatives of local Ag Extension including 4H youth leaders. This cohort will gather expertise to design a course, test the feasibility of the course, evaluate and train the next generation of agri-voltaic professionals.
Introduce Agrivoltaics and Solar Energy to the Cohort:
Through a combination of online learning and in-person workshops, the cohort will be introduced to Agrivoltaics by educators from the Colorado Agrivoltaics Learning Center associated with Jack’s Solar Garden, the largest Agrivoltaic enterprise in the United States.
The cohort will also receive an introductory series of workshops and hands-on experience following NABCEP (North American Board of Energy Professionals) requirements as a first step to careers in the solar industry. That segment of the training will be led by Ruth Page Nelson, President, Smart North America, https://smartnorthamerica.com/
Build a Model Agrivoltaic Installation: An essential step in the program will be the installation of a model Agrivoltaic garden at the Little USA site in Union Springs. The solar installation will be led by Ruth Page Nelson.
Along with the Installation of solar panels, the cohort will prepare a demonstration community garden on an acre. Part of the garden will be devoted to crops that are suited for growing beneath the solar canopy and the remainder of the acre will consist of crops that are usually grown in the region with irrigation and other necessary support powered by the solar panels.
The initial funds from grant and investment funders will be dedicated to the prioritized LUSA objectives, beginning with the first steps in creating an Agrivoltaics training facility and the development of a core group of trainers in southeastern Alabama.
The proposed leader-training will include online study and in-person hands-on experience building a demonstration community garden featuring crops that can thrive under the solar panel canopy. The panels will also be installed by trainees led by our certified trainer, who will need to come from outside of the region due to the current lack of regional instructors. We hope to create a foundation for Agrivoltaic training In the region with assistance from this grant.
Develop a Training Protocol and Resource for the Region:
As a collaborative project, the cohort will bring their expertise and priorities together to create a scope and sequence for training focused on needs of the Black Belt region. This may be a modular approach to teaching as the curriculum needs of a college class may be different than a company training its employees on the needs of farmers as well as solar providers. Farmers may first need to be introduced to the benefits of adoption of an agrivoltaic approach to growing practices. Likewise solar developers should understand how working with farmers benefits their businesses.
Modules developed by the cohort and reactions of the cohort to the training experience will be published together with other web resources they find useful. The training resource will be made available on a website that can be used to test some of the concepts. As a living tool, the resource will be open to change and further development.
The proposed project is limited in scope with large longer term goals. We see this as an opening step to introducing Agrivoltaics to the region through all of the entities and avenues represented by the cohort. The outcome of this initial project will be a training model that can grow in the region.
Cooperators
- - Technical Advisor (Educator and Researcher)
- - Technical Advisor - Producer (Educator and Researcher)
- - Technical Advisor (Educator and Researcher)
- - Technical Advisor (Educator)
- - Technical Advisor (Educator and Researcher)
- - Technical Advisor (Educator)
- - Technical Advisor
- - Technical Advisor
Education
Phase 1: The Cohort
The first phase of the program is planning for the effort. Partners and consultants are already meeting to learn each other’s interests and capabilities. When the project is launched they will meet to review the project timeline and steps. At that time collaborators will propose candidates for the cohort including themselves, as project leaders, with differing roles in sustainable agriculture in the region.
The initial course in the program will utilize existing training that has been endorsed or used by partner organizations as an introduction to both Agrivoltaics and Solar Energy. Installation of Solar Panels will be followed by installation of demonstration garden. The training of farmers and students, however, will not be available until the professional training program is in place.
Jack’s Solar Garden is a pioneer in Agrivoltaic farming and education. Instructors from the Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center will provide an introduction to Agrivoltaics to help set the stage for the introduction to Solar Energy as an economical farming practice that can impact the bottom line for farmers in the region. Joe Mitchell, a NABCEP trainer and LUSA advisor, will lead the Solar Energy portion of the training. Joe Mitchell represented Little USA at a recent conference on Agrivoltaics for Solar Developers, held at Jack’s Solar Garden. We believe our proposal brings the perspective of both farmers and solar developers to the objectives of the projec.
Both Tuskegee University, and Auburn University, have faculty members desirous of adding Agrivoltaic curricula to their Agriculture and Sustainability course offerings. O-Grows is led by Sean Forbes, an Auburn Faculty member, who will assist in recruitment of trainers to be trained through connections with local farmers and Ag Extension personnel tasked with working on innovative programs. Other partner organizations will also assist in recruitment.
The introductory phase will serve as a meeting place for participants to share the needs of farmers in the region as well as the opportunity to create research and educational channels within the participating post-secondary organizations.
Phase 2: Hands-On
The second phase of work will focus on development of a “Solar Community Garden and the creation of a pilot course that could be initiated by the partner universities leveraging each other’s existing programs. Local farmers, farmers market providers, and community garden partners will advise the development of the garden and choice of crops. The result should reflect steps in the food production process and demonstrate the end-to-end process of agrivoltaic farming to delivery of product.
Phase 3: The Training Plan
Development of a web resource and training plan will be the natural outcome of the project. Documentation of the processes and adaptations relevant to the region will ongoing during the project. Following the installation of the agrivoltaic model garden participants will focus on setting up training or course scenarios that fit with their target audiences. Assistance from our academic, industry, community partners will provide community outreach to promote followup opportunities to pilot the proposed training.
The delivery of the course will include the following:
- Meetings online to introduce the cohort and understand the interests, needs and audiences represented
- Online introductions to Agrivoltaics and Solar Energy through existing online resources including Jack’s Solar Garden Introduction to Agrivoltaics
- Beginning the Instructor led NABCEP introduction to Solar Energy via live online meetings
- In-person Introduction to Agrivoltaics from Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center
- In-person hands on installation of Solar Panels at Little USA led by Ruth Page Nelson
- Hands-on set up of 1 acre demonstration garden led by farming members of cohort with information on regional crops
- Group reviews of steps in the general introduction course
- Evaluation of applicability to each participants target audience
- Creation of specific modules addressing relationship of Agrivoltaics to specific audiences in the region
- Publication of outcomes and resources collected during the course. Resources can be from existing sources but applicable to the region
- Evaluation of the course and recommendations for next steps in piloting training with target audiences
Education & Outreach Initiatives
Develop a training protocol for universities and other institutions that will be training trainers in the field of Agrivoltaics.
Little USA Agrivoltaic Institute Training Narrative
September: The Start of Self-Directed Learning
The program launched with a focus on self-directed learning, allowing participants to explore solar photovoltaic (PV) concepts at their own pace. They engaged with online courses, webinars, and instructional videos on both solar energy and agrivoltaics. However, this phase did not unfold as expected. The online solar course proved to be overly technical for the intended audience, leading to difficulties in comprehension and engagement. This highlighted the need for customization in future iterations, possibly tailoring content for each participant. AI-driven personalization could offer an efficient and cost-effective solution to better match the material with individual learning needs.
October: Refining the Approach
Week 1: Revising the Participant List
As the self-paced learning continued into October, engagement varied. While two participants completed the online solar training, many did not fully engage with the online materials. Some viewed videos from Jack’s Solar Garden, but overall participation was inconsistent. This prompted a strategic decision to narrow the participant pool to only those deeply invested in the subject. The revised group included two university professors, two PhD students, a high school electronic engineering and construction instructor, a farmer, and a local farm-to-fork gardener.
Week 2: Building Discussions
With a refined group in place, the next step was to facilitate structured discussions. Online meetings were scheduled to review solar training and prepare for an upcoming agrivoltaics workshop. The smaller, committed group ensured more productive exchanges and deeper engagement with the material.
Week 3: Delays and Adjustments
An in-person solar review was originally scheduled to coincide with an actual solar installation at Little USA in Union Springs. Unfortunately, health issues with the instructor forced a postponement. Recognizing the need for flexibility, the team adjusted plans to accommodate the delay.
Week 4: The Agrivoltaics Workshop – A Turning Point
The program’s two-day agrivoltaics workshop, led by experts Byron Komenik and Allison Jackson, proved to be a highlight. The first day focused on classroom discussions covering key aspects of farming with solar, working with local utilities, and the business considerations of agrivoltaic development. Both days featured visits to various agricultural sites, including production farms, livestock facilities, and a honey production bee farm.
This in-person experience proved invaluable. Participants, who were more agriculture-focused than solar-focused, found inspiration through the on-site discussions led by Byron. Their interest evolved into creative and practical ideas for integrating solar technology into their agricultural and instructional work. The workshop yielded concrete outcomes, including the development of three undergraduate course plans centered on agrivoltaics within specific agricultural areas of study. One participant, a professor at Auburn, created a unit on solar within his undergraduate course on soil science. Additionally, one participant initiated a soil testing project involving local K-12 students through Little USA’s Sustainability Club, a project set to begin after the installation of the demonstration solar garden.
Week 5:
Ruth Page Nelson, solar installer and certified NABCEP trainer, completed installation of working demonstration and training solar array at the Little USA Community Solar Campus property in Union Springs.
Week 6:
Devotha Mwazembe, doctoral candidate in soil science at Tuskegee University, conducted a soil testing workshop for middle school teachers in Tuskegee. Participants included a school garden instructor, STEM teacher, principal, and district STEM instructor. The goal of this workshop was to conduct tests of the soil beneath and adjacent to the solar array to determine which crops would do best in this location. The teachers would then conduct the same tests at their own school garden in Tuskegee with the goal of using a small solar array to power irrigation and to provide shade for crops planted beneath the array.
Week 7:
Ruth Page Nelson conducted a two-day workshop on the technical aspects of installing and managing a solar array within the agricultural arena. Participants in this workshop are the same cohort that participated in the workshops a year earlier with Byron Komenik and Allison Jackson with the addition of several new members recruited by the original cohort. Additional participants include Hillery Goodgame, founder of the Blue Heron Urban Farm and Sanctuary, and Bambi Ingram, who leads the University of Alabama Sustainability Center in Birmingham. Three more farmer activists from the Georgia Women in Agriculture Association joined the group.
The workshop consisted of one day of classroom instruction and demonstration and a second day of hands-on instruction, where participants dismantled and reassembled the demonstration installation under the supervision of Ms. Nelson. The outcome of this program can't be underestimated as it provided the training tools to enable solar instruction within the context of existing agricultural education at major universities in the region as well as key farmers, who can demonstrate the benefits of Agrivoltaics within the Black Belt region.
Here is a link to an unedited video illustrating the teaching dynamic and activities of the participants, as well as the demonstration and teaching site for the hands-on solar workshop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7VB0RWKJAA
Th is a survey response from a solar workshop participant. We include this example because it describes a practical and personal response to the teaching event. It also speaks to future research activities that we would like to promote.
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Any general thoughts you have about the two-day experience, either one or both of the workshops?
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Anything you think would work better for the next time we do this?
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How will the information Ruth shared impact your work or efforts?
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Or anything else you’d like to share?
Fritzner Pierre
Graduate Research Assistant
Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Department
College of Agriculture
Auburn University 36849, Alabama USA
Mobile: +1 (334) 663 - 0840
Post-Workshop Reflections and Future Directions
The workshop and training experience provided a foundation for continued learning and application. As part of the post-workshop review, several future avenues were identified:
- Expansion of solar and agrivoltaics courses at regional universities and colleges.
- Development of non-credit certification programs at community colleges.
- Creation of teaching modules for STEM education across all grade levels.
- Establishment of connections to internships at energy companies and farming facilities.
By refining the approach and focusing on engaged participants, the program successfully laid the groundwork for further educational and practical applications in the field of agrivoltaics for farming in the region. The experience underscored the importance of adaptability, personalized learning, and hands-on engagement in fostering meaningful education and innovation.
We posted a short video trailer sharing key points covered in our weekend workshop for participants on the front page of the Little USA website www.littleusa.solar. Unedited versions of the field presentations are here https://www.youtube.com/@LittleUSASolar11-Auburn Farm Alvaro:Byron - small 10.27
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
The workshop and training experience provided a foundation for continued learning and application. As part of the post-workshop review, several future avenues were identified:
- Expansion of solar and agrivoltaics courses at regional universities and colleges.
- Development of non-credit certification programs at community colleges.
- Creation of teaching modules for STEM education across all grade levels.
- Establishment of connections to internships at energy companies and farming facilities.
- Creation of a training facility to teach solar implementation within an agricultural context
By refining the approach and focusing on engaged participants, the program successfully laid the groundwork for further educational and practical applications in the field of agrivoltaics for farming in the region. The experience underscored the importance of adaptability, personalized learning, and hands-on engagement in fostering meaningful education and innovation.
We posted a short video trailer sharing key points covered in our weekend workshop for participants on the front page of the Little USA website www.littleusa.solar. Unedited versions of the field presentations are here https://www.youtube.com/@LittleUSASolar
We expected participation from agricultural educators and farmers mainly within Alabama. We were happily surprised by participants from the Georgia Women in Agriculture Association and their enthusiasm for creating a new partnership to benefit farmers throughout the region. One of those farmers is also a K-12 educator, interested in promoting organic farming within K-12 schools across the region.
Another unanticipated outcome was the creation of a middle school teacher training day on soil testing at the Little USA site in Union Springs presented by our cohort member, Devotha Mwazembe of Tuskegee University. Teachers added to their STEM program and school garden, the ability to help students use test kits to evaluate soil properties, and prepare for gardening with the potential addition of a small solar array t their school. This event becomes a template for replication at middle schools and high schools in the region.
The combination of research, education, and application for agriculture across the region seemed like a lofty goal for a budding organization but the outcome showed that there is a strong desire to build effective solutions that improve the livelihood of agricultural practitioners in the Southeast. The limited access to training and implementation of solar resources combined with the desire to preserve agricultural land (in the context of the race for solar development) showed that our efforts are appreciated and provides the groundwork for future work.