This study evaluates the monetary benefits of pollination services from installing honeybee hives in solar parks and discusses how the findings could inform policy and practice. The study includes an overview of field crops, fruit crops, pollination ecosystem service benefits as well as costs of honey beehives. These discussions could be used when developing AgriSolar operations that include various crops and pollinators.
The Town of Mount Morris commissioned this research to answer questions about the nascent solar-agricultural industry, assess opportunities to attract farmers to the EDF Renewables Morris Ridge Solar Energy Center, and identify viable markets for solar-raised products. The report addresses the current interest of local farmers in grazing sheep and establishing apiaries at Morris Ridge; summarizes surveys employed to discover regional demand for lamb and honey; and analyzes market opportunities for solar-raised lamb, honey, and related products.
This article highlights ongoing efforts to couple solar energy production with pollinator conservation, noting recent legal definitions of these practices. The authors summarize key studies from the field of ecology, bee conservation, and experience working with members of the solar industry (e.g., contribution to legislation defining solar pollinator habitat). These results suggest the addition of native, perennial flowering vegetation will promote wild bee conservation and more sustainable honey beekeeping.
This University of Florida Extension publication describes how to build a bear fence to protect apiaries. The publication includes details on fence chargers, T-post insulators, variations of fence wire(s), fence testers and other variations of materials related to building bear fencing in effort to protect apiaries.
This thesis provides best practices for native pollinator habitat establishment on solar farms in the United States. The report includes case study examples in North Carolina, New York, Maryland, South Carolina, Illinois, Michigan and Oregon. Various methods used in each case study include various implementation methods such as seed choices, solar-site constraints, development checklists and land management monitoring and evaluation.
This paper focuses on the use of solar energy in the dairy industry in New Zealand. Included is an examination of historical records related to milk production and processing during peak levels of solar radiation. The study also includes an analyzation of four types of solar collectors, including: glazed flat plates, evacuated tubes, evacuated tubes with CPC reflectors and a building-integrated solar collector under development at the University of Waikato (UoW). The results of these analyzations are included in the study.
This paper analyzes several scenarios of the integration of a solar thermal system in the production process of dairy. The results show that in the parameters of the scenario(s) examined in the study, solar thermal potential was considerable, and should be examined as a possibility as an energy option. These results could be considered when developing AgriSolar operations that include solar and dairy.
The objective of this study was to determine the effects on grazing cattle under shade from a solar photovoltaic system.
The objectives of the thesis were to investigate electrical energy use on dairy farms located in west central Minnesota and to evaluate the effects of shade use by cattle from solar photovoltaic systems.
Use of solar energy has great scope for its commercial use in the dairy processing operations as well as to design and develop solar-based refrigeration systems for dairy industry.
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