Securing New Hampshire’s Energy Future

Dependable energy is a vital component of modern life, but relative to other states, New Hampshire residents have among the highest electricity costs and below-average reliability. However, adopting new systems to meet long-term energy needs is a much more complex challenge than it appears at first glance. An emerging research program at the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) is making it its mission to overcome this dilemma. Or, rather, what is known as the energy trilemma.

"To develop the best energy systems, we need to balance three essential goals: energy security, energy affordability and environmental sustainability," says Constantine Spandagos, assistant professor of natural resources and the environment in COLSA. "In the past, trying to balance them within the same system involved a lot of compromises, hence the trilemma. But it's a very exciting time, because we now have the tools - including sustainable energy sources such as solar, wind, and advanced biofuels, as well as emerging technologies like storage and green hydrogen - to advance all three goals simultaneously."

"When you have different perspectives working on complex problems, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

If successful, the scientific findings and knowledge can impact the development and adoption of more sustainable and far-reaching energy solutions, nationally and internationally. But, for now, Spandagos is beginning a New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station project that is looking at an opportunity here in the Granite State: Can agrivoltaics, a system that combines two sectors that have traditionally competed for space - agriculture and energy production - be used to improve both?

Complex problems require complex science

Spandagos approaches the trilemma by applying a wide lens to factors such as technical innovation, economic conditions and policies, and their roles in energy systems. Born and raised in Greece, he was struck by the juxtaposition of his country's wonderful history and scenic beauty with its serious environmental issues. When still quite young, he decided to become an engineer to find technical solutions for the problems he saw. But his educational journey, which has taken him from Athens to London, Hong Kong, and now Durham, N.H., showed him that simply creating better energy infrastructure is not sufficient.

At UNH, Spandagos's research program reflects the much more complex reality of strengthening regional energy security. Current energy systems, largely fossil-fuel-based, have decades of historical inertia tied to large infrastructure building and targeted policymaking. These systems have supported economic growth and prosperity for multiple generations and feel familiar and secure. For many New England residents, who have relied on the systems for heating and electricity through the region's long, cold winters for their entire lives, conceptualizing and taking action to pivot to other, renewable energy sources can be a challenge.

Overcoming these challenges at the community, state and regional levels will require not only developing and using technological and engineering best practices, but also understanding how behavioral psychology, community policy and economics play a role in new technology adoption. So while Spandagos's research includes highly technical components, including computational modeling of prospective energy systems and using artificial intelligence tools to detect hidden insights in large data sets, other skills are also highly valued.

"Because of the technical opportunities we have to finally solve the trilemma, we need interdisciplinary work to address energy-related issues now more than ever," says Spandagos. "There is an economist, a political scientist, and a chemist currently working in my lab. As the lab grows, I will continue to look for students and staff who bring a wide range of backgrounds and expertise. When you have different perspectives working on complex problems, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

New Hampshire implementation

Adding to the complexity is the fact that a one-size-fits-all approach to sourcing energy does not work for all areas or communities. For example, while advanced biofuels, wind energy and solar energy all offer considerable potential benefits as sustainable energy sources, access to those sources varies widely from region to region because of societal as well as environmental differences. Implementation will demand a careful combination of energy sources, matching them with the attributes and needs of each locale.

An example of the process in action is a project Spandagos is spearheading that seeks to implement agrivoltaics in New Hampshire. Agrivoltaics reverses the historical competition for land by energy and food production systems by having photovoltaic energy systems - solar power - co-exist with agriculture on the same property. While it has been a notable success in rural communities elsewhere in the U.S., it has seen limited adoption in New Hampshire despite its potential for enhancing food and energy production efficiencies within the small state.

Working with collaborators from across UNH, including civil and environmental engineering, public policy, nutrition and food systems, and cooperative extension, Spandagos will develop a fundamental understanding of the most pressing barriers to agrivoltaics adoption in New Hampshire. The team will also consult with external stakeholders such as farmers, energy utilities and policy makers to determine the types of agrivoltaics configurations and crops most suitable in New Hampshire, the policy and financing reforms needed to provide accessibility for smaller farms operating on thinner margins, and more.

Implementing the team's findings will provide a roadmap for New Hampshire to develop and commercialize agrivoltaics. The opportunity can create new jobs and strengthen the economic well-being of New Hampshirites through improved crop yields and water recovery in agricultural land, energy independence in rural communities and additional economic development opportunities for farmers.

"Agrivoltaics has been implemented successfully in other areas of the country," says Spandagos. "We want to help New Hampshire tap its potential to strengthen the state's agricultural and rural communities."