Agriculture, Solar Trade Groups Cooperate on New Industry Standards 

Partnership will propel agrivoltaics, a burgeoning segment for agriculture and solar markets 

ST. JOSEPH, Mich., and WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) have agreed to jointly develop industry standards for agrivoltaics, the dual use of land for agriculture and solar energy production. The two organizations are currently collaborating to identify subject areas in which new standards would be beneficial to industry.  

“This collaboration harnesses the expertise of ASABE members in agriculture and agricultural facilities alongside the specialized knowledge of SEIA members in photovoltaic and energy storage technologies. Together, we aim to establish comprehensive standards that will advance the field of agrivoltaics and promote sustainable land use,” said Darrin Drollinger, executive director at ASABE.  

“SEIA is committed to delivering the tools and resources that farmers need to maintain their operations while speeding up clean energy deployment. Industry standards for agrivoltaics will empower farmers seeking to explore large-scale solar on their properties with lower costs, less risk, and increased market efficiency,” said SEIA President and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper.  

Agriculture landowners often have differences in working with solar and energy storage project developers, who also encounter different conditions with each property they develop. National standards will assist both parties in understanding common expectations of how a solar and energy storage project is designed, developed, and constructed according to consensus-based principles developed with their common best interests in mind.  

ASABE is the leading national and international producer of standards for agricultural systems. ASABE is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to coordinate and develop the US position in fifteen areas of international standards development, including testing and operator safety. SEIA, also an ANSI-Accredited Standards Development Organization, is currently developing 11 standards on solar and energy storage installation, training, recycling, consumer protection, and supply chain traceability.  

Following this announcement, both standards developers will consult with their respective memberships on the high-priority topics for standards creation. One key area that will be immediately addressed is common terminology and definitions across agricultural land-based solar and energy storage projects. Industry stakeholders can get involved either through their respective memberships in either organization or by applying to join a standards committee when applications are announced on-line at each of the organization’s websites noted below. 

About SEIA®: 

The Solar Energy Industries Association® (SEIA) is leading the transformation to a clean energy economy, creating the framework for solar to achieve 30% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030. SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies and other strategic partners to fight for policies that create jobs in every community and shape fair market rules that promote competition and the growth of reliable, low-cost solar power. Founded in 1974, SEIA is the national trade association for the solar and solar + storage industries, building a comprehensive vision for the Solar+ Decade through research, education and advocacy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org and follow @SEIA on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.