Agrivoltaics Canada Events

 Alyssa Andrew is the Project Coordinator with the American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA), a farmer-founded and farmer-led nonprofit advancing the integration of livestock and solar energy across the United States. Based in Oregon, USA, she has been engaged in solar grazing research and practice since 2019, contributing to the growing field of agrivoltaics through both academic research and applied project work.
Within her role with ASGA, Alyssa has supported grant-funded projects aimed at developing best practices and industry standards for farmers and solar developers. She also provides member support and assists with the development of educational resources to translate research findings into practical tools that support agricultural viability and rural livelihoods alongside solar development.
She holds a master’s degree in Water Resources Science with a minor in Animal Science from Oregon State University. During her studies, Alyssa researched pasture establishment, forage productivity, lamb performance, and grazing behavior within agrivoltaic systems, with a focus on understanding how livestock can be effectively integrated into solar landscapes.

Erin Morgan is the Executive Director fr the Ontario Sheep Farmers.

Erin Morgan joined Ontario Sheep Farmers in September 2022 as executive director. She brings to her role strengths in team leadership, collaboration, government relations, and strategic planning. Erin is responsible for leading the organization’s staff team and working alongside the board to achieve the strategic goal of the organization to fulfill 50% of the domestic demand for lamb by 2050.

Erin has 20 years of experience and leadership within Ontario organizations including the Ontario Co-operative Association, Grain Farmers of Ontario and the Ontario Wheat Producers’ Marketing Board.

Erin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from the University of Guelph and resides in the Guelph community.

Jesse Gill is the proprietor of Double Barrel Vineyard and Okanagan Hills Estate Winery in Oliver, British Columbia, since 2008. He draws on a rich professional history, which includes 27 years in the banking and investment sectors, giving him a unique combination of financial acumen and agricultural insight. This blend of experience has informed his pragmatic approach to modern farming challenges. 

In recent years, Gill has focused on building resilience within his vineyards in response to direct threats posed by extreme weather events, such as severe cold snaps and heat domes. His strategy for climate change adaptation involves integrating innovative infrastructure intended to create a more stable microclimate and protect delicate crops. These proactive measures are driven by a focus on enhancing the long-term viability and sustainability of his agricultural operations amidst increasingly unpredictable environmental conditions. 

Mike Carter is the founder of First Green Energy Ltd., a Canadian renewable energy firm specializing in the integration of solar power with agricultural production. With over 25 years of experience in the clean energy sector, Mike has led innovative projects across Ontario and Western Canada focused on agrivoltaics, energy storage, and sustainable land use.

Through partnerships with farmers, Indigenous communities, and industry leaders, First Green Energy is demonstrating how solar infrastructure can support food production, improve farm resilience, and enhance rural economies. 

Mike’s recent work includes collaborative research with Natural Resources Canada on cattle-integrated solar systems and pilot projects exploring crop rotation under elevated single-axis trackers. He brings a practical, farmer-first perspective to the conversation—focused on ensuring that renewable energy becomes a complement, not a competitor, to Ontario’s agricultural sector.

 Currently, as a member of the FAST Research Group, Nima is pursuing his PhD in Electrical Engineering at Western University. His field of expertise focuses on the design, optimization, and decarbonization of renewable-based hybrid thermal-electrical systems for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. His doctoral research centers on sustainable indoor agrivoltaics, encompassing PV-powered controlled agricultural environments, such as indoor vertical farms, greenhouses, and nursery houses, supported by sustainable energy provision systems including heat pumps, energy storage technologies, and waste heat sources such as AI data centers. He actively manages ongoing projects in agrivoltaics, residential decarbonization solutions, and open-source power-to-X technologies, adopting a practical and forward-looking approach that engages all stakeholders, including students, engineers, and business owners. 

 Dr. Uzair Jamil is a research scientist at the University of Western Ontario leading research on agrivoltaics at the interface of renewable energy and agriculture. His work focuses on optimizing system design to balance electricity generation, crop productivity, and overall efficiency, with contributions spanning racking innovations, crop-specific modeling, and assessments of photovoltaic transparency effects. He also examines policy and deployment strategies to support agrivoltaic scaling across diverse climates.

Before entering academia, Uzair worked as a Mechanical Engineer in the energy, automotive, and petrochemical industries, contributing to large-scale projects including a 323 MW turbine retrofit with GE and major plant upgrade and outage initiatives. He is the Founding Director of Agrivoltaics Canada and a Certified Energy Manager and Auditor accredited by Pakistan’s National Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (NEECA).