Solar-Agriculture Combinations for Conservation
Problem statement
Imagine losing the energy to move or eat because of the air we breathe. That’s how the fish feel at the mouth of the Mississippi each year because a high percentage of the water flowing into the Mississippi river comes from streams that contain high levels of pollutants like nitrogen and phosphate. Around 39% of streams have high levels of nitrogen and 32% of streams have high levels of phosphate [1]. The nitrogen and phosphate leaking into these streams primarily come from the neighboring farmland. Buffer strips are lands of prairie placed near the streams that contain deep roots intended to absorb most of the nitrogen and phosphate from the water. Buffer strips can have nitrogen reduction effectiveness levels of around 23% to 44%, but it comes at the cost of farmers giving up part of their farmland to incorporate these buffer strips [2]. Past solutions to this problem have adopted the use of wind turbines to provide an alternative source of renewable energy while still allowing the use of buffer strips. The downside to wind energy is that energy production is heavily dependent on the amount of wind. In areas that are typically not as windy, this solution may not be as viable to other alternatives. Our proposed solution would be to incorporate the use of solar panels on top of these buffer strips. Unlike wind turbines, solar panels rely on the sun’s rays to produce energy which is a more consistent source of energy production than wind. Solar panels would allow the farmers to still make money off the land they have given up, while still being able to keep the Mississippi river water clean. To determine if it would be theoretically possible, we will develop a SAM model (System Advisor Model). This model is used to organize the finances and power supply of solar arrays. A successful SAM model would allow for both healthier lives for the fish while keeping the farmers happy with their source of income from the solar panels. [1] “epa-marb-fact-sheet-112911_508.pdf.” Accessed: Feb. 08, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa-marb-fact-sheet-112911_508.pdf. [2] J. M. Chandrasoma, R. D. Christianson, and L. E. Christianson, “Saturated Buffers: What Is Their Potential Impact across the US Midwest?,” Agric. Environ. Lett., vol. 4, no. 1, p. 180059, 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.2134/ael2018.11.0059.
Team members
Peter Sviatoslavsky – leader
Kevin Staron – communicator
Kyle Stemper – accountant
Kyle Fossum – admin
Eric Oeding
Client
Bartlett Durand, Sand County Foundation