SEC Participants and Students Experience the Value of Agrivoltaics During Pre-Conference Tours at NC State’s Agrivoltaics Training Site
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Solar training site is the first of its kind in the Southeast and brings together students, industry professionals and academic leaders in agrivoltaics
“This experience allowed our students to interact with industry professionals, explore innovative sustainability solutions, and deepen their understanding of current trends shaping the field.” – Dr. Ilham Elsayed, Sustainability Technologies professor at Central Piedmont Community College.
Some 40 participants ranging from sustainability and energy professionals to high school, community college and university students joined tours of NC State’s new Agrivoltaics Training Site on April 27 as part of pre-conference tours leading up to the NC Clean Energy Technology Center’s 2026 State Energy Conference.
With a backdrop of sheep peacefully grazing in the shade of solar panels, participants heard presentations from leaders from the NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC), NC State’s Department of Animal Science, and solar manufacturer Nevados, on how solar systems and agricultural activities, such as food and livestock production, can be co-located on the same land.
“It was really impactful to see such a clear example of dual land use with sheep grazing in the same space as the solar panels,” said tour participant and NC State student, Sydney Kaelin. “Before the tour, I hadn’t fully realized how beneficial agrivoltaics could be from both a sustainability and land management perspective.”
“Agrivoltaics is important because we want to reduce land-use conflicts,” said Steve Kalland, executive director of the NCCETC. “What we’re trying to do here is to find ways to put the pieces of the puzzle together in a way that benefits local farmers, benefits communities, and creates the energy we need to run the electric utility grid so we can power homes, communities and businesses at a time of growing energy demand.”
The Future of Agrivoltaics at NC State
While the site is in the early stages of development, the partners have big plans for its future.
The Department of Animal Science is constructing a teaching facility next to the training site that will house both sheep and learning spaces.
“This will become part of our student curriculum. NC State students studying animal science and other agricultural disciplines will come here for hands-on learning in sheep management and agrivoltaics, said Dr. Todd See, head of NC State’s Department of Animal Science.
“It’s an exciting interdisciplinary collaboration, training students, training the public, training solar operators, conducting outreach and extension programs and, eventually creating opportunities for research. We can look at pollinators, sheep, wildlife, and how all of these systems interact here.”
The new site also opens up new training possibilities for NCCETC, including utility-scale solar safety training and utility-scale operations and maintenance training. Watch this space for more and click here to see our current course offerings.
Funding the Future
NCCETC recently was awarded a $21K Sustainability Fund grant by the NC State University Sustainability Office to fund enhancements to the Training Site, including: installation of grazing-compatible fencing, planting of diverse vegetation to support sheep grazing and pollinator habitats, and funding to hire a student intern to assist with student outreach.
“With the Sustainability Fund investing in site infrastructure, student support, and outreach, we will be able to make many of the ideas we have for the site a reality,” said Brittany Santore, training project manager at NCCETC. “This grant gives us the ability to create more opportunities for students and industry professionals to gain hands-on experience with sheep grazing, agrivoltaics and utility-scale solar operations.
“Our goal is that this site becomes a replicable model for how universities and industry can collaborate to prepare the next generation of energy and agricultural professionals.”
Get Involved
“One of the most exciting aspects of this site is that we are still in the early phases of development,” said Santore. “As workforce needs continue to evolve, there are meaningful opportunities for industry partners, community organizations, and supporters to help shape future training experiences, expand student opportunities, and site capabilities as the vision continues to grow. We welcome new collaborators.”
Learn more about the Agrivoltaics Training Site here or e-mail Gena Renfrow at earenfro@ncsu.edu to learn more about partnership opportunities at the site.