Kevin Choi/University of Arizona
Construction of a rooftop garden and solar panels atop the University of Arizona s Environment and Natural Resources 2, or ENR2, building is complete, and the research phase of the ENR2 Rooftop PV+ Project can now begin.
The method of growing crops under solar panels to increase the efficiency of both is called agrivoltaics – a semantic mashup of agriculture and photovoltaics. When any other kind of plant is used, such as native species instead of crops, the system is called photovoltaic-plus, or PV+.
ENR2 is already a LEED Platinum-certified building, the highest rating in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating program. The Rooftop PV+ Project is a way to demonstrate sustainability in the desert while also providing unique research and learning opportunities for the UArizona community.