Dual-use solar and agricultural projects, sometimes called AgriPV, AgPV, or agrivoltaics, is the practice of growing crops or raising livestock on the same land as a solar energy facility. The practice has been shown to cause mutual co-benefits for both the crops and animals and the output of the solar array. The latest of such projects comes […]

Traditional territories of the Mohican and Wappinger people / WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y., Sept. 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Lightstar Renewables is about to break ground on its Old Myers solar project, the first agrivoltaics (dual-use) project in New York. The project marks a significant milestone for the agriculture and solar industry, fostering energy independence as well as […]

(Washington, D.C. – September 25th, 2023) American Farmland Trust (AFT) applauds today’s bipartisan introduction of the Protecting Future Farmland Act of 2023. The legislation, introduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), would make significant progress toward ensuring the current renewable energy buildout benefits rural communities, protects farmland, and strengthens farm viability.   Specifically, the Protecting Future […]

“A way to kind of mitigate that is to get agriPV kind of across the line, which is integrating solar farms on farmland, but making the two coexist equally.” Allison DeNunzio, director of engineering at Lightstar Renewables. DeNunzio added that the company is looking into the design challenges of having solar on farmland, such as […]

Traditional territories of the Massachusett and Pawtucket People / Boston, Massachusetts, Sept. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lucy Bullock-Sieger, a solar advocate and Vice President of Strategy at Lightstar Renewables, a greenfield community solar developer and long-term owner and operator of community solar farms, has been selected as a 2023 Grist 50 Fixer for science and energy. Lucy […]

Traditional territories of the Massachusett and Pawtucket People / Boston, Massachusetts, Aug. 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today Lightstar Renewables, a community solar developer and long-term owner and operator of community solar farms in the US, is announcing a new partnership with Arcadia, a climate technology company that unlocks global energy data to provide customer acquisition and […]

  WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, and U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research, are introducing […]

Lucy Bullock-Sieger occasionally spots a tractor weaving around and under the arrays at a utility-scale solar project near her home in Norfolk, Massachusetts. Few others would experience an emotional response to lawn mowing. But Bullock-Sieger does. That’s because she’s a self-described evangelist of agrivoltaics—industry jargon for solar projects co-located with livestock or crops. Frustration builds […]

While community solar is clearly not as big as utility-scale, its importance is continuously increasing in the US, especially since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Last week the Department of Energy announced a US$10 million financing programme (https://www.pv-tech.org/doe-doles-out-us52-million-to-develop-solar-manufacturing-recyclingand- cell-technology-plus-investment-for-grid-security-and-community-solar/) for community solar projects, while earlier in the year the Department of Treasury […]

Community Solar Companies Ready to Invest in New Jersey  By: Lucy Bullock-Sieger, VP of Strategy, Lightstar Renewables First and foremost, we thank President Joseph Fiordaliso and all of the staff at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) for spearheading the ambitious clean energy goals New Jersey has committed to. In particular, I truly […]

Traditional territories of the Massachusett and Pawtucket People / Boston, Massachusetts, April 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Lightstar Renewables announces the appointment of Jason Rossi as its new Vice President of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC). Jason is responsible for the management of all engineering, procurement and construction duties right from the pre-development desktop review stage […]

Dual-use solar, also known as agrivoltaics, is a method that enables solar energy and agriculture to coexist on farmland. As part of agriculturally compatible strategies and applications that keep farmers viable and benefit farm communities, the use of solar is pivotal for water conservation and reliable energy transmission. But why is this important?  The state […]