2026 North American Agrivoltaics Awards Recipients Announced
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CHICAGO - illiNews -- The North American Agrivoltaics Awards (NAAA) has released the recipients of its 2026 recognitions across seven award categories and four special designations for excellence and achievement in dual-use solar development, including solar farm, solar farmer and solar rancher of the year. "Agrivoltaics" (AgPV) is defined as the integration of solar energy generation with agriculture on the same acre of land. The 2026 class of NAAA awardees exemplify outstanding efforts and accomplishments in the advancement of this mutually beneficial marriage between solar power and agricultural production—as well as solar development and conservation best practice, known as "ecovoltaics."

"The portfolio of combined achievement in this year's class of awardees is more than impressive," said Dan French, Founder and Executive Producer of the NAAA and the Solar Farm Summit, "it serves as powerful testament to the ability to stack high value in field performance with these dual-use solar farming practices—and perhaps a more timely, if not necessary, dual-remedy for both the uncooperative weather and production ills plaguing farmers around the world as well as the burgeoning electricity gold rush."

The 2026 North American Agrivoltaics Awards recipients will be recognized during an in-person ceremony and reception October 27. Tickets are available to join the AgPV community alongside North America's best and brightest at Solar Farm House in Chicago for a short program and intimate ceremony sharing the stories of this year's awardees followed by a reception featuring heavy hors d'oeuvres prepared with solar-farmed ingredients—some harvested by NAAA recipients themselves.

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2026 NAAA Awards & Awardees

Individual Awards

2026 Solar Farmer honors an outstanding farmer leading the way in growing vegetables, fruits, grains, or other crops beneath solar panels—demonstrating innovation, resilience, and excellence in agrivoltaic farming.

Awardee: Joe Czajkowski—Czajkowski Farm | Hadley, Massachusetts

2026 Solar Rancher celebrates a trailblazing rancher or grazier who exemplifies excellence in integrating livestock production with solar energy.

Awardee(s): Arlo Hark & Josie Trople—Co-Owners, Cannon Valley Graziers | Northfield, Minnesota

2026 Solar Eco-Steward recognizes an inspiring leader who champions ecosystem services—like habitat restoration, pollinator support, and soil regeneration—incorporated into solar developments and elevating environmental stewardship and best practice.

Awardee: Mike Kiernan—Founder & Native Beekeeper, Bee the Change | Weybridge, Vermont

Project Awards

2026 Solar Farm(s) honors an exceptional agrivoltaics project that sets the standard for best practices in crop production beneath solar arrays—demonstrating innovation, productivity, and serving as a model for future dual-harvest farms.

Co-Awardees:
Colorado State Vitivoltaics Vineyard | Grand Junction, Colorado
Roundabout Meadows Solar Garden | Aldie, Virginia

2026 Solar Ranch recognizes a project that goes above and beyond in combining solar generation with managed grazing to mutual benefit.

Awardee: Cal Flats | Arevon Energy, in partnership with Hearst Ranch (Jack Ranch) | Cholame, California

2026 Solar Ecosystem celebrates an eco-voltaics installation that sets a new standard for uniting solar energy with environmental conservation.

Awardee: Argonne National Laboratory | Multi-Site Research

Plan Awards

2026 Dual-Use Plan(s) recognizes outstanding innovation in dual-use solar development still in the design phase, submitted for regulatory approval but not yet built.

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Co-Awardees:
SUNY Cobleskill HARVEST Project | Schoharie County, New York
Cedar Agrivoltaics | Ontario, Canada

Special Recognitions

2026 Champion celebrates individual effort, leadership, and advocacy for agrivoltaics—work powerful enough to create positive effects beyond that individual's own projects.

Awardee: Iain Ward—Farmer & Founder and CEO of SolAg | Massachusetts

2026 Groundbreaker recognizes an individual whose outstanding achievements, original thinking, and inspiration in agrivoltaic development have led to the substantial advances in the state of the art as applied in the field.

Awardee: Jordan Macknick—Lead Energy-Water-Land Analyst, National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) | Colorado

2026 Pioneer honors a pioneering professional with exceptional courage and conviction in the pursuit of solar farming into uncharted territory, established new pathways for dual-use development, and encouraged others to follow.

Awardee: Stacie Peterson—Executive Director, American Solar Grazing Association, American Grazing and Growing Association | Montana

2026 Leadership honors excellence in agrivoltaics policy making and advocating, effecting policy work that has helped build the legal and regulatory foundation for farming + solar to scale to its full multipurpose potential.

Awardee: New Jersey Senator Bob Smith—Chairman, New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee | New Jersey

Visit the NAAA website to read short summaries of their work and link directly to it at: https://agrivoltaicsawards.com/2026-recipients