The Call for Proposals for 2026 is now open!
As part of its commitment to a carbon-neutral campus by 2042, the University of Pennsylvania is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and has entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with energy company AES to develop solar arrays that would generate enough energy to fulfill 70% of the campus and health system electricity needs. Under the PPA, AES is generously supporting related educational efforts at Penn through a grant program run by the Office of the Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action.
The solar project, located on 1,600 acres in Fulton and Franklin counties in central Pennsylvania, makes up the largest solar project in the state. The site itself presents opportunities for field- or data-based research and that may hold implications for renewable energy initiatives more broadly.
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Eligibility Criteria
All Penn faculty and students are eligible to apply for support. Penn faculty may seek support to fund a student project, while students may seek support for their own capstone, individualized project, thesis work, or summer internship/fellowship opportunity, provided they have an advisor committed to mentor them. Projects may request up to $15,000 in funding. (Requests of smaller amounts, for example to support a summer research, education, or training project are welcome.)
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Selection Criteria
Particular consideration will be given to proposals that:
- Foster the next generation of climate leadership.
- Incorporate a transdisciplinary approach, especially involving new collaborations between disciplines
- Involve hands-on research or experiential learning connected to the solar field site in central Pennsylvania
- Will generate new knowledge and outline a plan to translate it for on-the-ground impact
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Application Instructions
Application information is available on InfoReady: https://upenn.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/2007185
Only applications submitted through InfoReady will be considered.
Proposals must be no longer than 2 pages and include:
Objective: Clearly define the intended project, including how the proposed work will enhance education and training related to renewable energy. Explain, if applicable, how the proposed work connects to the AES solar project. Describe how outcomes from the proposal may be translated into on-the-ground impact.
Project Team: Give names and titles of proposed team members and their roles in the project.
Budget: Provide an itemized budget and summarize how funds will be spent, when, and why.
Future directions: Explain how this project could be built upon by future efforts, including, if applicable, future sources of funding to support this work.
In addition, please share a CV of the principal investigator and/or lead student(s) involved.
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Timeline
- March 30, 2026: Deadline to submit proposals through InfoReady. Only applications submitted by InfoReady will be reviewed.
- April 29, 2026: Anticipated release of final responses.
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Outcomes and Expectations
- Successful applicants will meet with Penn Climate staff at the start of the funding cycle to go over the scope of the project and at the midpoint to check on progress.
- At the conclusion of the funding cycle, PIs will complete an impact report form provided by The AES Corporation and the project team must share a final report (in pdf form) with Penn Climate that summarizes their activities, with sections on key outcomes, expenditures, and deliverables.
- Sharing related photos, infographics, illustrations, or other visuals at any point in the funding cycle, and certainly at its conclusion, is very welcome to support future communications around funded projects.
- Each project team will be featured on the Penn Climate website, newsletter, and social media channels to announce the awards and to share outputs.
- Project teams will be asked to present during a poster session during a future Climate Week at Penn (held each fall).
PPA-funded Research Projects
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PPA-funded Projects 2025
Understanding Carbon tradeoffs in site design for photovoltaic arrays: Comparison of Solar Photovoltaic, Agricultural Cropping, and Agrivoltaic Arrangements
- Nicholas Pevzner of the Weitzman School of Design, Alain F. Plante of the School of Arts & Sciences, Stephanie Carlisle of the Weitzman School of Design, and Jie Ying, a dual-degree student in the Master of Environmental Studies and Master of Landscape Architecture programs
Summary: This work will establish protocols for future soil carbon and soil health monitoring. Based on findings of soil carbon dynamics, the goal is to develop models that account for different land cover scenarios of the agrivoltaics system and inform strategies for sustainable soil management.
Energy Above and Energy Below – Solar Panels and Plant-Based Jet Fuel
- Project team: Doris Wagner of the School of Arts and Sciences, and Courtney Dresden, postdoctoral researcher.
Summary: Solar energy is an essential avenue for generating renewable energy and addressing the impacts of a changing climate. However, this technology requires extensive areas, often occupying cultivated land. Since agriculture is one of the foundations of society, it is imperative to efficiently utilize the space that solar panels occupy, for example, through short-growth crops in between and under solar panels. This project aims to establish solar farms as a sustainable and attainable growth environment for plant-based jet fuel production.
Optimizing Energy Storage Bidding and Participation Strategies in the PJM Market
- Project team: Manling Hu, Master of Environmental Studies Candidate, University of Pennsylvania, Jie Ying, Master of Environmental Studies Candidate, University of Pennsylvania, Arthur van Benthem, of the Wharton School.
Summary: This project aims to develop an optimal bidding strategy for energy storage participation in PJM’s electricity markets by integrating energy and ancillary services while considering market volatility, regulatory constraints, and risk management.
Enhancing Soil Health and Climate Resilience through Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) in Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Communities
- Project team: Jen Wilcox of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, Tom Parsons of the School of Veterinary Medicine, Jon Hawkings of the School of Arts and Sciences, and Abby Lunstrum of Clean Energy Conversions Lab
- Summary: Using an interdisciplinary approach, this project will pilot ERW in Pennsylvania to assess its impact on soil health, crop productivity, and carbon removal.
PPA-funded Projects 2024
Understanding Carbon Tradeoffs in Site Design for Photovoltaic Arrays: Comparison of Solar Photovoltaic, Agricultural Cropping, and Agrivoltaic Arrangements
- Project team: Nicholas Pevzner of the Weitzman School of Design, Alain F. Plante of the School of Arts & Sciences, Peter Psarras of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, Stephanie Carlisle of the Weitzman School of Design , and Jie Ying, a dual-degree student in the Master of Environmental Studies and Master of Landscape Architecture programs
- Summary: An extension of the work embarked upon by Alain Plante and Hannah Winn in the first year of the PPA program, this effort will use a life cycle assessment methodology to explore relationships between the benefits of clean energy production and the impacts on landscape carbon stocks and land use productivity, using the Great Cove project as a site-specific case study.
Evaluating Stormwater Runoff at UPenn’s Solar Project in Central Pennsylvania
- Project team: Ellen Kohler, Brenton McCloskey, and Emma Denison of the Water Center at Penn in the School of Arts & Sciences
- Summary: This project will work to build a framework to monitor the effects of stormwater on water quality and quantity at the AES Cove I and Cove II solar array sites, including research, modeling, and monitoring will be conducted by a soon-to-be-identified Penn graduate student.
Shine On Pennsylvania: Assessing Community Acceptance of Large-Scale Solar Projects
- Project team: Nicholas Kwok and Sandro Mocciolo (undergraduate students), advised by Jon Hawkings and Parrish Bergquist of the School of Arts & Sciences
- Summary: This student-led research project proposes to develop and employ a survey instrument to model correlations between a variety of beliefs—such as social license factors, perspectives on Pennsylvania’s energy transition, and broader environmental worldviews—and the local public acceptance of large solar projects.