Communications Toolkit

OVERVIEW

The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) has launched the nation’s first AgriSolar Clearinghouse to connect farmers, ranchers, land managers, solar developers, and researchers with trusted, practical information to increase the appropriate co-location of solar and agriculture.

GOALS

Increase awareness of the AgriSolar Clearinghouse and its trusted, practical resources and network of partners
Increase participation in the AgriSolar Clearinghouse Forum
Collect agrivoltaic success stories from across the country to facilitate connection among landowners and solar developers

KEY MESSAGES

The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) created the nation’s first AgriSolar Clearinghouse to connect farmers, ranchers, land managers, solar developers, and researchers with trusted, practical information to increase the appropriate co-location of solar and agriculture.
The AgriSolar Clearinghouse features a 400+ article library of peer-reviewed information, a media hub featuring videos, podcasts, and relevant news, and a user forum to directly connect people interested in agrisolar development in real-time.
There are tremendous benefits of pairing solar and agriculture. As America’s appetite for sustainably grown products and renewable energy continues to increase, agrisolar has the potential to provide both resources. AgriSolar, when done right, is a win-win.
The benefits of co-locating solar with appropriate agricultural land include: Producing food, conserving ecosystems, creating renewable energy, increasing pollinator habitat, and maximizing farm revenue.
The AgriSolar Clearinghouse Forum is connecting farmers, ranchers, and landowners in real-time who are interested in harvesting the sun twice.
The AgriSolar Clearinghouse is developing an interactive map to connect farmers, ranchers, land managers, and trusted experts across the United States who are starting or growing agrivoltaic operations. Share your story with us to get a pin on the map to increase visibility, open new markets, and connect with producers and developers.
The project’s diverse group of more than 30 partners and stakeholders representing private business, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, national energy laboratories, the Smithsonian, and leading universities will be a key ingredient in supporting the expansion of agrisolar developments across the country.

BACKGROUND

NCAT’s AgriSolar Clearinghouse is funded by a three-year, $2.03 million cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The Solar Energy Technologies Office supports early-stage research and development to improve the affordability, reliability, and domestic benefit of solar technologies on the grid.
The National Center for Appropriate Technology is a trusted, practical, connector. Since 1976, NCAT has provided relevant information, individualized technical assistance, and in-depth resources to support sustainable agriculture and accessible energy solutions. We facilitate meaningful connections among sustainable agriculture and energy producers to create lasting change.

SAMPLE WEBSITE OR NEWSLETTER COPY

The AgriSolar Clearinghouse is a nationwide hub developed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology to connect businesses, landowners, and researchers with trusted resources to support the growth of co-located solar and sustainable agriculture.

By 2030, solar installations are expected to cover more than 3 million acres of land in the United States. Today, most of those installations sit on stripped, single-use land. Expanding agrivoltaics on solar-appropriate lands will allow agricultural and solar producers to maximize the use of land, increasing pollinator habitat, diversifying ecosystem services, and increasing farm revenue.

Learn more about how you can harvest the sun twice at AGRISOLARCLEARINGHOUSE.ORG.

SAMPLE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

Harvest the sun twice. Connect with farmers, businesses, land managers, and researchers who are maximizing land and farm revenue with agrisolar. Learn more at [@ncat_org’s] AGRISOLARCLEARINGHOUSE.ORG

Produce more food, conserve ecosystems, create renewable energy, increase pollinator habitat, and maximize farm revenue with agrisolar. Learn how at the AgriSolar Clearinghouse’s trusted information library or connect in real-time with people who already harvest the sun twice. AGRISOLARCLEARINGHOUSE.ORG.
Share your AgriSolar story with the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s [tag @ncat_org] AgriSolar Clearinghouse as they develop an interactive map to connect farmers, ranchers, land managers, and trusted experts across the United States who are starting or growing agrivoltaic operations. Share your story to get a pin on the map to increase visibility, open new markets, and connect with producers and developers. AGRISOLARCLEARINGHOUSE.ORG