Many Solar Projects Replace Farmland. This UVA Alumnus Is Helping Them Coexist

As demand for renewable energy grows, solar power presents a challenge. Its widespread use often takes up valuable agricultural land, disrupting food production, local economies and the environment. When Miles Braxton became interested in solar energy production at a young age, he noticed that University of Virginia engineering professor Mool Gupta’s LASER Research Group was one of the few labs in the country focused on photovoltaics, or solar cell manufacturing. So, he pursued a degree in environmental sciences with a minor in engineering business at UVA, working in Gupta’s lab in his first year, and graduating in 2018. When he realized lab work wasn’t for him, he pivoted to the business and technology aspects of clean energy. Read more.