Solar Ecologies Project Awarded Spark Grant from UVA’s Environmental Institute

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Solar infrastructure precedents documented by Solar Ecologies PI Mona El Khafif during a recent trip to Spain. From left to right: Esplanade and Photovoltaic Pergola in Barcelona by Elías Torres and José Antonio Martínez Lapeña; Google Maps satellite view of the Son Salomo Solar Farm, adjacent to Talayotic cultural and archaeological sites in western Menorca; and a solar-panel-covered parking lot near Ferreries, a small town in Menorca. Photos: Mona El Khafif

An interdisciplinary UVA team led by Associate Professor Mona El Khafif will explore how community solar and green infrastructure strategies can be integrated to improve socio-ecological land use outcomes along Charlottesville’s I-29 corridor.

Associate Professor of Architecture Mona El Khafif, together with an interdisciplinary team of UVA faculty and researchers, has been awarded a $30,000 Spark Grant from UVA’s Environmental Institute (EI) for their project Solar Ecologies: Modeling a Framework for Community Solar and Land Restoration. 

One of only four projects to receive EI Spark Grant funding this year, Solar Ecologies brings together cross-disciplinary expertise to explore how community solar infrastructure can be integrated with ecological restoration strategies in urbanized commercial corridors. El Khafif serves as principal investigator, with co-investigators Matthew Seibert (Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture), Elizabeth Marshall (Senior Program Manager, Center for Economic and Policy Studies), Gary Koenig (Professor of Chemical Engineering), and Larry Band (Professor of Environmental Sciences and Civil and Environmental Engineering). 

Focusing on Charlottesville’s I-29 corridor within the Meadow Creek watershed, the team will develop a performance-driven design methodology that models the co-benefits of pairing solar energy production with green infrastructure functions such as stormwater management, urban cooling, and habitat support. The project envisions transforming commercial land into hybrid energy–ecological systems, setting the groundwork for a replicable urban sustainability framework. 

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The year-long effort moves from a review of Virginia and Albemarle County’s community solar policies to case study and site analysis of Charlottesville’s I-29 North corridor, followed by hydrological modeling and stakeholder engagement with local partners. It will culminate in the development of a white paper and a roundtable event at UVA, bringing together community members, policymakers, and industry leaders. Together, these outcomes will establish a replicable framework for solar-ecological systems while positioning the team for larger external funding and long-term policy impact.

Solar Ecologies Project Team

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