Indiana Land Use Summit will share resources about agrivoltaics, renewable energy
Agrivoltaics, one of the topics at the Indiana Land Use Summit, uses the same land for solar energy and agricultural production. (Purdue Agricultural Communications photo/Joshua Clark) WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue Extension and the Purdue Institute for a Sustainable Future invite local government employees, plan commission members and conservation agencies to attend the 2026 Indiana Land Use Summit on Aug. 27. This year’s event will focus on renewable energy and agrivoltaics, or using the same land for solar energy and agricultural production.
Through research updates, breakout discussions and tours of the Agrivoltaics Research Platform at Purdue University’s Agronomy Center for Research & Education (ACRE), attendees will learn about practical strategies, technical tools and evidence-based approaches to address emerging land-use challenges and support informed decision-making in their communities.
The event features research from two projects, Indiana Renewable Energy Siting through Technical Engagement and Planning (IN R-STEP) and Midwest Agrivoltaics for Resilient Communities, and will cover the following topics:
- Research updates on ordinance inventory and property values
- Battery energy storage systems
- Regulatory tools and planning practices
- Choosing a site for agrivoltaics (siting)
- Energy and economic resilience of agrivoltaics
Activities will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET and take place at the Beck Agricultural Center, located at 4550 US-52, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906. The main program session will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with networking and tours of the Agrivoltaics Research Platform at ACRE from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tours of the ACRE site are limited to the first 90 registrants.
Registration costs $50 and includes lunch. To register or find additional information, please visit https://cvent.me/d7rYb3. For questions about the event, please contact Kara Salazar at 765-496-1070 or salazark@purdue.edu.
If you are in need of accommodations to attend this event, please contact Kelsey Bisher at 765-496-3425 or kbisher@purdue.edu by Aug. 26. If you need an interpreter or translator, please contact Bisher at 765-496-3425 or kbisher@purdue.edu by Aug. 6. For special dietary needs, contact Bisher at 765-496-3425 or kbisher@purdue.edu by Aug. 13.
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.
Writer: Olivia De Young, odeyoung@purdue.edu
Media contact: Olivia De Young, odeyoung@purdue.edu
Sources: Kara Salazar, salazark@purdue.edu; Kelsey Bishner, kbisher@purdue.edu
Agricultural Communications: Maureen Manier, mmanier@purdue.edu, 765-494-8415