Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) has received a $1,245,000 grant from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to pioneer a 125-kilowatt (kW) agrivoltaics demonstration unit.
The project, titled “Pioneering & Advancing Red Deer Polytechnic’s Data Sharing Alliance (DSA) in Agrivoltaics,” will be part of RDP’s Energy Innovation Centre, located on the south part of RDP’s main campus.
The outdoor site will feature bi-facial solar panels and advanced tracking systems to ensure optimal power generation while fostering agricultural productivity in cold climates. The panels will be accompanied by a 192-kWh battery energy storage system (BESS), enhanced with hyperspectral imaging and AI automation.
With the purpose of analyzing dual land use through integrating solar PV technology with active crop cultivation, the installation will support applied research while helping train emerging energy and agricultural professionals.
RDP plans to train 1,000 individuals, comprised of RDP students, industry partners, and community partners, through hands-on learning over the next five years.
“The Agrivoltaics demonstration unit at Red Deer Polytechnic combines renewable energy generation with agricultural productivity, addressing the dual challenges of reliable, consistent clean energy and food security,” said Dr. Tonya Wolfe, Associate Vice President of Applied Research at RDP, in a statement.
Performance data on energy production, soil moisture, and crop health will be collected and shared through RDP’s Data Sharing Alliance platform, a real-time open-source tool that aggregates data from solar sites across Alberta.
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