EAST LANSING, Mich. — When farmers were asked at last year’s Powering Michigan Agriculture Conference to rank the factors they would use when deciding to implement a renewable energy or energy conservation project, they said return on investment was their most important consideration. This insight has been the guiding principle in shaping the content of the 2017 Powering Michigan Agriculture Conference. Many of the speakers who will be presenting at the conference have this information and will share it with conference attendees.
One example will illustrate this point. Evaluating the financial prudence of an investment in solar photovoltaic (PV) requires careful consideration of system costs, the value of electricity production, and operation and maintenance costs. Unfortunately, some solar PV project proposals are hard to understand, making it difficult to make fully informed investment decisions. Eric Romich, Assistant Professor and Field Specialist – Energy Development with Ohio State University Extension, will give a three-part presentation designed to increase farmer knowledge of solar PV energy development and the financial considerations needed to guide informed decision-making with future investments.
Farmers who attend the conference will be able to choose from many topics. The complete agenda can be found at found on the Extension events page. The conference will begin at 8:30 AM and conclude at 4 pm. The registration fee is $40 per person or $75 for two people from the same farm. The registration fee gives attendees access to vendors, speakers, educational material and includes lunch. To register for the conference visit the event page. Online registration closes March 5.
Vendor and registration questions can be directed to Betsy Braid at 517-884-7081 or braidbet@msu.edu
All other questions can be directed to Charles Gould at 616-994-4547 or gouldm@msu.edu.
