Partnerships
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
NREL has supported and collaborated with Hyperion to discover and refine co-location solar technologies. Hyperion has been awarded several grants from NREL over the last decade and will be able to continue research for the coming years through NREL InSPIRE 2.0 a project directed by Jordan Macknick.
UMass/NREL Supported Vegetable Research
Over the last four years the initial test site in South Deerfield has been dedicated to studying the yields of various plants comparing their growth in direct sunlight and underneath the panels. The results have been very encouraging and are the only proven results for dual-use solar. Dr. Stephen Herbert and his team have been the investigators of this research.
UMass Clean Energy Extension
UMass Clean Energy Extension (CEE) is a public research, outreach, and clean energy market development program within the Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment at UMass Amherst. CEE's Solar PV and Agriculture initiative provides outreach, education, and market support for dual-use solar-agriculture applications under the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program. Dwayne Breger, River Strong, and Zara Dowling co-lead CEE's Solar PV and Agriculture initiative.
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) main focus is to provide food security for the state. MDAR provides funding through grants for projects on agricultural land which support energy efficiency and the implementation of alternative energies. MDAR provided funding for Hyperion's demonstrated dual use of land project at the UMass Agronomy Lab in South Deerfield, MA.
Department of Energy Resources
Department of Energy Resources (DOER) is the agency responsible for developing and implementing state wide clean energy programs. Find out more about the SMART Program on their website.