Rutgers University Selects SolarEdge Technologies for Its Agrivoltaics Research and to Assist the Development of the New Jersey’s Dual-Use Solar Energy Pilot Program

MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 1, 2024--

SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (“SolarEdge”) (NASDAQ: SEDG), a global leader in smart energy technology, today announced that its technology has been selected by Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, as part of an innovative research and demonstration program to explore the potential of dual use agrivoltaics (the combination of agricultural production and solar energy generation simultaneously on the same land) for farmers across the state.

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Rutgers research will assist the Dual-Use Solar Energy Pilot Program that will be administered by the NJBPU. The pilot program is a three-year, 200 MW agrivoltaics initiative with the goal of exploring the feasibility and benefits of agrivoltaics. The pilot program is a collaborative effort including the NJBPU, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, the State Agricultural Development Committee, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and the Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program. The results and data from the research program will be used to inform the establishment of a permanent Dual-Use Solar Program in New Jersey. The Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program includes three sites, each using a different panel mounting method to investigate the impact on agricultural production and electricity generation:

At each site, the research will evaluate electricity output, using Module Level Power Electronics (MLPE) for the measurement and analysis of energy production.

“Agrivoltaics is a fast-growing and hugely exciting sector that provides a solution for many of the business challenges that farmers are facing today – from managing rising energy costs to moving to more sustainable production. However, we are still at the start of this journey. The aim of our research is to develop knowledge that will help to establish practices that can help improve both the sustainability and viability of farms through safe and regulated adoption of solar energy. We are excited to be working with SolarEdge to achieve these goals,” said Margaret Brennan-Tonetta, Director for Resource and Economic Development and Senior Associate Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.

Bertrand Vandewiele General Manager of SolarEdge in North America, said: “Agrivoltaics is a perfect example of a real ‘win-win’. This practice allows for expanded solar development to address climate change, without the land-use challenges often associated with ground mounted solar developments. It can also provide benefits for farmers, allowing a stable revenue stream and protection against climate hazards. In the U.S., there are more than 500 Agrivoltaics sites, producing a total of 9 GW of solar energy 1. These numbers are likely to grow as interest in Agrivoltaics has been greatly expanding, as indicated by the increase in support and funding for this sector. For example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s funding for Agrivoltaics more than tripled from 2021 to 2022 2.

Farmers are able to move to more sustainable and profitable production without substantially reducing space for growing crops – in fact agrivoltaics can potentially boost the production of certain shade-tolerant crops by providing protection from direct sunlight, while the cooler temperature below the panels reduces water evaporation. Meanwhile, the end consumer can feel good about choosing produce from sustainable farms. Through this collaboration with Rutgers University, we look forward to playing our part in helping to advance the adoption of more sustainable and profitable farming practices.”

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About the Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program:

The Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program (RAP) is a multidisciplinary group of Rutgers faculty and staff committed to designing and conducting the applied agrivoltaics research and outreach necessary for New Jersey farmers to make informed decisions about adopting this technology, as well as its potential role in contributing to the State’s renewable energy goals. RAP is part of the NJ Agricultural Experiment Station and Rutgers Cooperative Extension which provide research, outreach and educational resources to residents, communities, and businesses in New Jersey and beyond.

Please visit https://ecocomplex.rutgers.edu/agrivoltaics-research.html for more information. For media inquiries or more information about the Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program, please contact Dave Specca, RAP project lead, at specca@njaes.rutgers.edu.

About SolarEdge

SolarEdge is a global leader in smart energy technology. By leveraging world-class engineering capabilities and with a relentless focus on innovation, SolarEdge creates smart energy solutions that power our lives and drive future progress. SolarEdge developed an intelligent inverter solution that changed the way power is harvested and managed in photovoltaic (PV) systems. The SolarEdge DC optimized inverter seeks to maximize power generation while lowering the cost of energy produced by the PV system. Continuing to advance smart energy, SolarEdge addresses a broad range of energy market segments through its PV, storage, EV charging, batteries and grid services solutions. Visit us at: solaredge.com.

2USDA ERS - Common Ground for Agriculture and Solar Energy: Federal Funding Supports Research and Development in Agrivoltaics

Snyder Research and Extension Farm in Pittstown used for hay production. credit: Advanced Solar Products (ASP)

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus announced Tuesday that he will release some seriously ill political prisoners who were jailed during protests against his authoritarian rule in 2020.

It is the first time Lukashenko has mentioned releasing political prisoners on humanitarian grounds since mass protests rocked the country after his disputed reelection for a sixth term in office. Lukashenko is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Belarusian opposition and the West denounced the election as a sham.

During the crackdown following the vote, more than 35,000 people were arrested, thousands were brutally beaten in custody, dozens of independent news organizations and human rights groups were closed and journalists jailed.

According to the Viasna human rights center, there are currently 1,409 political prisoners in Belarus, including Ales Bialiatski, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. At least six inmates have died behind bars, human rights activists said.

Lukashenko said prisoners who would be freed included those who were “breaking up the country and tearing it apart” during the 2020 protests.

Lukashenko did not say how many would be freed.

“These are really seriously ill people, mostly with cancer. We approach and treat everyone humanely,” he said.

Viasna representative Pavel Sapelka told The Associated Press that as of the beginning of May, at least 254 political prisoners were known to be at particular health risk and 91 were in serious condition.

Belarusian prisons “torture” all political prisoners by depriving them of medical care and information from the outside world, Sapelka said. “A healthy person in a Belarusian prison quickly becomes sick,” he said.

The United Nations has previously appealed to Belarusian authorities over the health of former presidential candidate Ryhor Kastusiou, who is dying in prison of cancer. Journalist Kseniya Lutskina has a brain tumor and political prisoner Pavel Kuchynski also has stage-four cancer.

Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, whose husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski was sentenced to 19 1/2 years in prison, told AP that 15-20 people are arrested every day in Belarus for political reasons and “the repression continues.”

“The urgent release of people in critical condition is not a political issue, but a humanitarian one,” Tsikhanouskaya said. “They should be released without any conditions.”

The U.S. State Department has called for the release of all political prisoners in Belarus.

“We honor the courage of the 1,500 Belarusian political prisoners held captive simply for trying to exercise the freedoms independence is supposed to convey," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday in a statement to mark Belarus' Independence Day.

FILE - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a joint statement with Russian President Vladimir Putin following talks at the Palace of Independence in Minsk, Belarus, on May 24, 2024. Lukashenko will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. as his nation becomes a full member of the group. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)