Grainswest - Tech 2024

Tech 2024 grainswest.com 33 ‘either-or’ conversation and allows us to work together,” she said. Solar Alberta has advocated for the use of marginal farmland, because the quality of land does not affect energy generation. She points out it’s ironic that buffer zones effectively stop initial exploration and many would-be developments, so companies are forced to look at prime agricultural lands as areas to set up projects. “The buffer zones are actually going to pose a threat to Alberta’s farmland,” she said. A forthcoming large-scale research project may show that co-habitation of livestock and solar panels is viable. To demonstrate this, a long-term electrical generation study at the University of Calgary’s W.A. Ranches, north of Cochrane, will turn cows into guinea pigs. The 19,000-acre property is a working cow-calf operation with 900 cows and more than 60 bulls. The ranch is the site of various research projects carried out by multiple organizations. Conducted in partnership with Calgary utility provider Solartility and UCalgary, the project will see cows graze on pastureland alongside vertically erected rows of solar panels, as opposed to the traditional 45-degree pitch. The project was announced during COP28 held in Dubai in December 2023, and it’s expected to be up and running by next year. Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) believes in the project enough that it will contribute $3.12 million of the $6.25 million price tag. Recently, through the ERA, the provincial government has put $910 million toward 260 energy projects, which are designed to reduce emissions collectively by more than 40 million tonnes by 2030. Once the panels are installed, cattle will continue to graze, and power will be generated. “There will really be no change to how those cattle use those pastures,” said Paul Galpern, a UCalgary environmental scientist involved in the project. He believes it is the first of its kind in North America to feature cows and panels. “That’s critical because the rancher gets two wins. They get a win from the solar panels generating on that land and cows still get to graze that land in the way they did before.” Areas of the field that receive intermittent shade from the solar panels will be studied to identify possible increased moisture retention in the soil and whether this affects nutritional content and forage yield. Such measurements will inform ranchers of potential pros and cons of agrivoltaics projects on their land. “The idea is to pilot this so ranchers can see its potential,” said Galpern. “We think there’s massive potential for this kind of facility in southern Alberta where we’ve got great sun and great pastureland.” While farmers and ranchers will certainly earn revenue from such projects, which is positive, Galpern is curious about possible environmental benefits. “That’s the question we’re asking.” He is convinced, though, that Albertans want the province to remain an energy powerhouse. Renewables such as wind and solar energy, including agrivoltaics, can play an important role in this profitability for years to come, he said. “It’s time for Alberta to follow the zeitgeist here and follow both the money and the future and invest in renewables. It cannot hurt for us to put a lot behind renewable products.” The project’s panel construction and maintenance of electrical components will be overseen and managed by Solartility. For its part, UCalgary will contribute researchers from its engineering, veterinary medicine and science faculties. THE AGRIVOLTAICS HOME GAME While the agrivoltaics research project at W.A. Ranches examines large scale co-location viability, a University of Alberta project is doing likewise, but on a microscale for use by the urban Albertan. Researcher Guillermo Hernandez Ramirez is an associate professor and soil scientist in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences. He and intern Camila Quiroz conducted a 25-day project within an indoor growth chamber. They grew spinach under a trio of conditions: no solar panel, solar panel with minimal shading and a solar panel with heavy shading. Grown under the panels, plants used 17 per cent less water and were healthy come harvest, despite slower growth rates. The panels generated 10 watts; not much, but enough to charge a phone, power a small appliance or lamp, making the setup a perfect urban microgeneration station. “Agrivoltaics is a whole new field of research and an option we want to keep exploring and find ways to implement, because it’s a win-win for society and for food and farming industries,” said Hernandez recently in the U of A’s online magazine, Folio . Photo:CourtesyGuillermoHernandezRamirez/UniversityofAlberta