NC State College and Nevados, a single-axis photo voltaic tracker producer, held a ribbon chopping ceremony Wednesday launching a program and facility for the research and implementation of agrivoltaics.
Credit score: NC Clear Power Expertise Middle
The NC State Agrivoltaics Coaching Web site is the primary of its type within the Southeast, the place college students and photo voltaic professionals can be taught practices in agrivoltaics and the set up of photo voltaic know-how that permits set up on steep terrain by means of Nevados’ proprietary tracker know-how. Agrivoltaics is the co-location of photo voltaic panels and agricultural actions — together with meals and livestock manufacturing — on the identical land.
“This new photo voltaic coaching website is a testomony to the ability of partnership,” stated Chris Frey, affiliate dean for analysis & infrastructure on the Faculty of Engineering. “It’s a tremendous interdisciplinary collaboration between NC State’s Clear Power Expertise Middle, the Division of Animal Science and Nevados, a producer of photo voltaic monitoring methods. And it positions NC State as a seamless chief in power and agricultural training for college kids and professionals all through their careers.”
Yesterday’s launch included a preview of the college’s new agrivoltaics coaching, Agrivoltaics in Motion: Enhancing Operations and Upkeep in Livestock-Built-in Photo voltaic Websites. This course, which is able to launch in Spring 2026, equips photo voltaic professionals with important expertise for navigating grazed photo voltaic websites, together with working with electrical fencing, guardian animals and sheep-based vegetation administration, whereas providing methods to streamline operations and upkeep and foster collaboration between photo voltaic operators and grazing professionals.
“Grazing sheep on photo voltaic farms presents a large number of advantages for the photo voltaic and sheep business,” stated Dr. Andrew Weaver, Assistant Professor of Animal Science. “These advantages embrace diminished mowing wants and more economical vegetation administration, farmland preservation, improved public notion, and profession alternatives for native sheep producers. The NC State Agrivoltaics Coaching Web site will present a useful alternative to coach our college students and farmers in one of the best administration practices for photo voltaic grazing. This coaching website isn’t nearly photo voltaic power; it’s about pioneering the way forward for sheep manufacturing – a future that’s extra resilient, productive, and worthwhile for North Carolina and the world.”
The coaching website, together with three rows of Nevados’ TRACE All Terrain Tracker system and three varieties of photo voltaic modules, will likely be used for agrivoltaics training, particularly photo voltaic grazing, and photo voltaic technician coaching by means of the NC Clear Power Expertise Middle, Nevados and the Division of Animal Science
Information merchandise from the NC Clear Power Expertise Middle
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