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Agrivoltaics: A Team-Based Analysis of Solar Energy and Agricultural Modeling

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Conference

2023 ASEE North Central Section Conference

Location

Morgantown, West Virginia

Publication Date

March 24, 2023

Start Date

March 24, 2023

End Date

March 25, 2023

Page Count

23

DOI

10.18260/1-2--44910

Permanent URL

https://strategy.asee.org/44910

Download Count

167

Paper Authors

biography

Dylan Marcus Tobey University of Pittsburgh

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Dylan Tobey is a junior at the University of Pittsburgh studying Mechanical Engineering, with interests in sustainability and economics.

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Tony Lee Kerzmann University of Pittsburgh Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-9445-3814

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Dr. Tony Kerzmann’s higher education background began with a Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Duquesne University, as well as a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. After graduation, Dr. Kerzmann began his career as an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at Robert Morris University which afforded him the opportunity to research, teach, and advise in numerous engineering roles. He served as the mechanical coordinator for the RMU Engineering Department for six years, and was the Director of Outreach for the Research and Outreach Center in the School of Engineering, Mathematics and Science. In 2019, Dr. Kerzmann joined the Mechanical Engineering and Material Science (MEMS) department at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the advising coordinator and associate professor in the MEMS department, where he positively engages with numerous mechanical engineering advisees, teaches courses in mechanical engineering and sustainability, and conducts research in energy systems.

Throughout his career, Dr. Kerzmann has advised over eighty student projects, some of which have won regional and international awards. A recent project team won the Utility of Tomorrow competition, outperforming fifty-five international teams to bring home one of only five prizes. Additionally, he has developed and taught fourteen different courses, many of which were in the areas of energy, sustainability, thermodynamics, dynamics and heat transfer. He has always made an effort to incorporate experiential learning into the classroom through the use of demonstrations, guest speakers, student projects and site visits. Dr. Kerzmann is a firm believer that all students learn in their own unique way. In an effort to reach all students, he has consistently deployed a host of teaching strategies into his classes, including videos, example problems, quizzes, hands-on laboratories, demonstrations, and group work. Dr. Kerzmann is enthusiastic in the continued pursuit of his educational goals, research endeavors, and engagement of mechanical engineering students.

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Veronica Roth

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David V.P. Sanchez University of Pittsburgh Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-7398-3130

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David V.P. Sanchez is an Associate Professor in the Swanson School of Engineering’s Civil & Environmental Engineering department and the Associate Director for the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation at the University of Pittsburgh. He serves as the Program Director for the Master’s in Sustainable Engineering, the Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainability, the John C. Mascaro Faculty Fellows, and the Sustainability Global Engagement grant. He is the faculty lead for the University Honors College Food Ecosystem Scholar Community.

His research lab, Sustainable Design Labs, focuses on fusing analytical chemistry, sustainability design principles and data analytics to address Water and Sustainability grand challenges. Current thrusts focus on Smarter Riversheds, Microbial Fuel cells and advanced oxidation and separation processes.

Focused on co-creating long term partnerships that synergize community vision with Pitt’s core competencies of research and education, Sanchez has built up Pitt Hydroponics in Homewood, founded Constellation Energy Inventor labs for K-12 students, and re-created the Mascaro Center’s Teach the Teacher sustainability program for science educators in the region.

As a teacher he designed and created the Sustainability capstone course which has annually partnered with community stakeholders to address sustainability challenges at all scales. Past projects have included evaluating composting stations in Wilkinsburg, studying infrastructure resilience in Homewood, enabling community solar in PA, improving energy efficiency in McCandless Township, and improving water quality in our rivers. He teaches core Sustainability courses, labs in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, electives in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship program, the First-Year Engineering program, and International Study Abroad programs.

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Abstract

Agrivoltaics: A Team-Based Analysis of Solar Energy and Agricultural Modeling

An Agrivoltaics system is one in which agricultural crops or livestock are raised alongside photovoltaic panels in the same land area. This practice of using land for agriculture and solar power generation allows for the production of renewable energy and food, both of which are very important in sustaining a growing global population. The field of Agrivoltaics is relatively new, and more research is needed to better understand how environmental factors and system configuration affect the yields of energy and produce.

In an effort to further explore this topic, an interdisciplinary group of faculty and undergraduate students at the University of XXXXX have been working to design an agrivoltaic system near Pittsburgh, while working to develop decision tools to ease the adoption of Agrivoltaics. Through a review of existing literature, interviews with subject matter experts, and collaboration between engineering students and faculty, the team was able to model the electricity output of Agrivoltaic system using OpenDSS and Microsoft Excel. The energy model was a key component in the development of an Agrivoltaics decision tool which can be used to assist farmers in making key design and financial decisions during the planning phase of an Agrivoltaics farm.

The various perspectives from interdisciplinary students studying mechanical, electrical, and environmental engineering, and professors specialized in those disciplines created a collaborative environment that augmented the team’s effectiveness and enhanced the students’ learning experience. This interdisciplinary cooperation mirrored that which is often found in industry and provided valuable experience in both communication and project coordination. This paper will explore the results from this research, how students benefitted from hands-on research, and how the interdisciplinary nature of the research team increased the educational value of the experience.

Tobey, D. M., & Kerzmann, T. L., & Roth, V., & Sanchez, D. V. (2023, March), Agrivoltaics: A Team-Based Analysis of Solar Energy and Agricultural Modeling Paper presented at 2023 ASEE North Central Section Conference, Morgantown, West Virginia. 10.18260/1-2--44910

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