Agrivoltaic Planter
Problem statement
Agrivoltaics combine the best of both worlds producing electrical power and crops on the
same acreage of lands. The office of sustainability at UW-Madison wants to show off how UWMadison can be sustainable, particularly using agrivoltaic demonstrations. Our team needs to
modify a current prototype to satisfy the needs of various stakeholders. A solar panel will be
hinged on the edge of the planter, at an optimal angle to collect solar power, as well as allow
light and water to get to the plants underneath. The solar panel itself will power a small gadget
to show how this technology works and provide a data acquisition system to further propel the
research in this field. This fits with the Office of Sustainability’s goal of community involvement,
learning, and education about solar power. This project will last a long time with the average
lifespan of a solar panel being about 25-30 years [1]. Our team will work with local sustainability
groups to source materials for this project as well as apply for Green fund funding to support the
scaling of this project. Other current solutions exist but are elevated off the ground and have not
been done on a small scale like intended here on the UW campus. In addition to this, current
implementations have been done in vastly different climates than Madison. Ultimately our
solution will allow the UW Office of Sustainability to successfully showcase badger-voltaics and
demonstrate a path to a sustainable future.
[1] Hurst, Josh. ‘Solar Panel Payback Period (How Long To Recoup Costs?).’ EcoWatch,
2023, https://www.ecowatch.com/solar/solar-panel-payback
Team members
Jackson Moffitt – leader
Vincent Pergrossi – communicator
Rae Laughnan-Watin – accountant
Cullen Burke – admin
Client
Josh Arnold
UW Office of Sustainability