For the first time in four generations, the Raines family didn’t plant a single cotton seed last year. Chad Raines parked his tractor and rented out most of his Texas farmland to a neighbour.
Tag Archives solar energy
Rural solar development needs common sense
There’s no silver bullet for stopping the slow but steady onslaught of global warming.
Brazilian producers bet on solar energy and battery tech
Increased use of alternative energy means greater business for equipment providers, reduced dependence on fossil fuel and more efficient farming
Brazilian farmers have been expanding their solar energy capacity and testing batteries as a storage solution in a bid to make electricity supplies more predictable and potentially reduce diesel consumption.
Renewables ban costs calculated
OTTAWA (Reuters) —Alberta’s restrictions on some renewable projects could hurt $11.1 billion in investments and stall up to 6.3 gigawatts of solar and wind power capacity, a study has said. The new rules can potentially impact 42 projects valued at more than $11 billion and several thousand jobs, the Pembina Institute, an Alberta-based clean energy […] Read more
Feds spend $97 million on agricultural clean tech projects
Glacier FarmMedia – The federal government today announced some $97 million in funding for farms and agri-businesses to adopt cleaner technologies like more efficient grain dryers, solar power and precision agriculture technology. “Canadian farmers fully understand the need to take care of the environment and they are constantly innovating to find new solutions to reduce […] Read more
Alta. solar has small footprint
Researchers estimate a maximum of less than one tenth of one percent of all agricultural land in Alberta will be required for solar projects under a net zero future for the province’s electrical grid. The calculation assumes an extreme situation where the projects will be built solely on farmland, said associate professor Sara Hastings-Simon of […] Read more
Small works in solar energy projects
Renewable energy is a tremendous economic opportunity for any community with the foresight to embrace it. The capital cost of building wind and solar infrastructure continues to fall as demand grows exponentially around the world. At the same time, performance improvements will continue to increase the efficiency of generating electricity from renewable energy assets. In […] Read more
Small-scale solar expansion requires regulatory changes
Keith Hirsche, president of RenuWell Energy, said two projects in Barnwell and Fincastle are performing as expected and are helping offset electrical costs associated with running irrigation pivots. The projects also offset costs associated with well site remediation.
Alta. regulator denies Frank Lake solar project
The 150-megawatt Foothills Solar Project would have been the largest such development by Elemental Energy Renewables Inc. in Alberta, with the surface area of the solar panels totalling 270 to 300 acres.
Solar farms may also benefit crop production
The blue part of the spectrum that makes up sunlight is high energy, while the red part boosts plant photosynthesis
A study is seeking to spur the creation of solar panel technology that will reduce water use by crops while also generating clean, renewable electricity on the same farmland. There doesn’t have to be a stark choice between solar projects and protecting agricultural land, said Majdi Abou Najm, co-author of the study and associate professor […] Read more
