This event, hosted by the Clean Energy Research Group at SFU alongside our partners, introduces agrivoltaics as a viable path for climate resilience and farm viability in the Fraser Valley and BC.

With back-to-back years of devastating weather, agrivoltaics offers a model for crop protection, renewable energy, and improved water and energy efficiency without sacrificing existing farmland.

Agrivoltaics is the practice of integrating solar panel systems overtop farm field production to create a dual-yield of both electrical power and agriculture. Current research demonstrates that this pairing of agriculture with energy systems can help:

• Preserve Farmland While Maximizing Its Efficiency (Dual Use)
• Reduce Drought and Hail Damage From Climate Change On Our Agriculture Sector
• Create Green Jobs In Rural Farming Communities
• Help Transition The Agriculture Industry From Fossil Fuels To Renewable Energy
• Stimulate The Economy Through Decentralized Revenue Generation

This event is being done in collaboration with University of the Fraser Valley’s Agriculture Technology program, Sacred Earth Indigenous-led ‘Just Transition’ NGO and will feature agrivoltaics experts from the American Farmland Trust, the Washington State Nature Conservancy, the Clean Energy Research Group at Simon Fraser University and Pathfinder Clean Energy.

We are aiming to spark a robust conversation on the potential for agrivolatics in the Fraser Valley and we look forward to hearing from diverse,’on the ground’ perspectives during the townhall portion of the evening.