On Friday, Sept. 6, the University of Minnesota Morris held a dedication ceremony for its expanded agrivoltaic array. The Minnesota LCCMR’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (lottery money) funded this project, and the UMM constructed it on a dairy pasture owned by the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC).

At the event, State Senator Torrey Westrom (R-Alexandria) spoke about the role that the Morris campus and WCROC play in leading the state in sustainability.

“Agrivoltaics is a system that integrates livestock agriculture with solar energy generation and uses cattle pastures as a joint-use site,” Senator Westrom shared. “This means it provides shade for the cattle while producing solar electricity! The array now stands at 500 kW, which is believed to be the largest dairy agrivoltaic field in the Midwest. This is a major research project aiming to advance the sustainability of energy projects, right here in our backyard at the UMM campus in Morris, Minnesota.”

To watch the full ceremony, please visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpYfAbT-WwU