North America’s Agrivoltaics Expo Returns to Rosemont

North America's 1st dedicated dual-use development conference and agrivoltaics exhibition will dig even deeper into the essential solar energy and agriculture nexus during its 2nd supersized installment, which is scheduled to land again next to O’Hare International Airport in the heart of the continent’s heartland at the stunning, sustainability-conscious Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel during the 2024 Solar Farm Summit (SFS24)!

The 2024 Solar Farm Summit (SFS24), North America’s Agrivoltaics Expo returning to Rosemont, IL July 8-10, recently revealed finalists in eight categories for the inaugural North American Agrivoltaics Awards (NAAA) to recognize, elevate and celebrate outstanding achievements in the advancement of dual-use solar development across the continent. Finalists were selected for each category following a period of open nominations from a large pool of extremely strong submissions, with each finalist shining as an exceptional example of achievement in their own right.

The first class of NAAA winners recognizing leadership, excellence, and innovation for awards across multiple categories including: Farmer, Rancher, Eco-Steward and Champion.

Solar Farmer of the Year finalists include: 

• Joe Czajkowski, Owner/Farmer at Czajkowski Farm in Massachusetts
• Meg Caley & Liza McConnell, Co-Founder and Executive Director and Jack’s Solar Research Farm Director, respectively, Sprout City Farms in Colorado
• Paul Knowlton, Farmer and Landowner at Knowlton Farms in Massachusetts
• Juli Burden, Agrivoltaic Systems Lead at Hawaii Agriculture Research Center in Hawaii 
• Chad Higgins, Associate Professor at Oregon State University in Oregon

Solar Rancher of the Year finalists include:

• Will Harris, Owner/Operator at White Oak Pastures in Georgia 
• Lexie Hain, Director of Agrivoltaics and Land Management at Lightsource bp in New York
• Jess & Marcus Gray, Founders and Owner/Operators of Gray’s LAMBscaping, LLC in Virginia
• Caleb Scott, Founder of United Agrivoltaic North America in New York
• Lyndsey Smith & Chris Moore, Founders and Owner/Operators of Shady Creek Lamb Co in Ottawa Valley, Canada

Solar Eco-Steward of the Year finalists include: 

• Mike Kiernan, Founder and Native Beekeeper of Bee the Change in Vermont
• Robin Ernst, Founder and President of Monarch Vegetation Services, Inc in Pennsylvania 
• Brian Ross, Vice President of Renewable Energy at Great Plains Institute in Minnesota
• Rob Davis, Communications Lead at Connexus Energy in Minnesota

Finalists for Agrivoltaics Champion of the Year include:

• Angela "Angie" Burke, Director of O&M at Pivot Energy in Colorado
• Iain Ward, Founder and CEO of Solar Agricultural Services, Inc in Massachusetts
• Byron Kominek, Owner of Jack’s Solar Garden, Executive Director Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center in Colorado 
• Greg Barron-Gafford, Professor & Associate Director of the School Garden Workshop at the University of Arizona in Arizona

Full people and project profiles, as well as finalists in project and planned project categories, are available on the NAAA website at: https://agrivoltaicsawards.com  

Join an esteemed assembly of the very best in agrivoltaic and ecovoltaic development the evening of July 8 in Chicago, opening night of the 2024 Solar Farm Summit, to honor the incredible achievements of NAAA24’s exceptional class of nominees, and to celebrate the transformative impact of dual-use solar development!

Tickets to attend the NAAA ceremony are available on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-solar-farm-summit-tickets-768674394807

Learn more about North America’s Agrivoltaics Expo, the 2024 Solar Farm Summit, taking place July 8-10 in Chicago: https://solarfarmsummit.com/ 

Beyond the sessions, a supercharged SFS24 social experience is loaded with 12 scheduled networking opportunities (including hot breakfasts and lunches together both session days for full pass holders) beginning with an official welcome happy hour the evening of July 8 when the Poster Gallery and Premium Exhibition open—all to encourage dynamic information exchange, idea cross-pollination and interpersonal connection during the most engaging and largest agrivoltaics exhibition on the planet!

Join the SFS community July 8, 9 & 10 at the Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel, just a free shuttle away from the airport (every 15 mins) and mere blocks from public Metra and CTA transit for 3 brilliant days of education, inspiration and interpersonal connection. Dig in, plug in and grow with the revolutionary pairing of agriculture + solar power at North America’s Agrivoltaics Expo—the 2024 Solar Farm Summit!

Solar Farm Summit | https://solarfarmsummit.com/