DR. GREG BARRON-GAFFORD
When
Where
Greg Barron-Gafford is a Biogeographer and Earth System Scientist who has been building the field of agrivoltaics. Greg began this work in southern Arizona to study the benefits across the food-energy-water nexus, and over the years has developed a national and international program connecting with researchers and rural community leaders across the American Southwest, Mexico, Kenya, Tanzania, and Israel. Working to develop science-based solutions to help people adapt to the increasing pressures that come from a changing climate is a personal and professional goal.
Abstract: Energy, food, and water insecurity are simultaneous and compounding challenges facing many communities around the globe. Solar photovoltaic systems provide low-carbon electrification, but their expansion often brings trade-offs with other development goals such as food production, boosting water security, and wildlands conservation. We argue that agrivoltaics - combining agriculture and solar photovoltaics on the same land - can mitigate these trade-offs, and instead can sustainably deliver multiple socio-economic benefits. Here, I will talk about our interdisciplinary work that bridges the physical and social sciences to examine the potential for agrivoltaics across dryland communities worldwide.
Join us for beers, etc. after the talk at Screwbean Brewery, 103 N. Park Avenue.