Several CFAES faculty and staff members shared their expertise about agrivoltaics during the December 2023 County Commissioners Association of Ohio (CCAO) Winter Conference. The panel discussion was co-hosted by Commissioner Tony Bornhorst from Shelby County and Sam Custer, interim assistant director of Agriculture and Natural Resources, OSU Extension (retired Dec. 31, 2023).
As defined by the U.S. Department of Energy, agrivoltaics is “agricultural production, such as crop or livestock production or pollinator habitats, underneath solar panels or adjacent to solar panels.” (see more at energy.gov)
The panelists discussed the college’s land-grant mission and their involvement and research in the co-location of agricultural production and solar energy development, followed by questions from the audience.
The panelists were Scott Shearer, professor and chair, CFAES Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering; Jeff Hattey, professor, CFAES School of Environment and Natural Resources; Eric Romich, associate professor and field specialist, OSU Extension; and Vinayak Shedekar, assistant professor, CFAES Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering.