Second Stakeholder Meeting in Lithuania of the EAGER project
On February 7th, 2025, National Paying Agency hosted an online joint workshop with an objective to identify and outline the importance of solar energy and educate about all the advantages it brings also present on going projects like EAGER, The BEATLES and BIOSOLFarm to farmers without PV.
The joint workshop began with an introduction to its objectives, the importance of solar energy integration into agriculture and setting the stage for the discussions that followed.
The seminar continued with an in-depth look at the EAGER project and all benefits that comes during the period, which aims at improving policies to ease APV in Europe and supports solar energy development in agriculture, and a review of its application in Lithuania. NPA presented the challenges and limitations with possibilities and solutions that already has been already identified after regional study.
The BEATLES project aims to transform the current agriculture and food system and accelerate the systematic transition to climate-smart agriculture and smart agriculture technologies. It was introduced, providing participants with an understanding of ongoing European efforts in this area.
A brief questionnaire was distributed to farmers to gather baseline information on their knowledge of solar energy technologies.
A short segment followed with insights from the BIOSOLFarm project, highlighting key survey findings regarding farmers' attitudes towards solar energy.
Two local farmers then shared their personal experiences with solar energy implementation, discussing challenges, benefits, and outcomes.
A roundtable discussion allowed all participants to engage in a dialogue on the various opportunities and challenges they face in the adoption of solar energy systems, fostering an exchange of ideas and experiences.
The final set of questionnaires was completed to evaluate the immediate impact of the seminar and to assess any shifts in participants’ understanding of solar power technologies.
Conclusion
This seminar provided a comprehensive introduction to the potential of solar energy for the agricultural sector. Through informative presentations and interactive discussions, participants gained insights into the benefits and challenges of integrating solar energy into their operations. The follow-up assessment will provide further clarity on the effectiveness of the seminar in fostering real, long-term change within the farming community.
Follow-Up and Future Impact Assessment
In a few months, the same farmers will be invited to a follow-up session, where they will complete another round of questionnaires to determine whether the seminar had a sustained impact on their knowledge and practices regarding solar power. This follow-up is crucial for understanding the long-term benefits and challenges of solar energy adoption in the farming sector
Purpose of the Questionnaire
The primary objective of the questionnaire was to assess the level of information retained by participants before and after the presentation on solar power systems. The feedback will be used to gauge the effectiveness of the presentation and determine whether it provided valuable insights into the implementation of solar energy in agricultural settings. A follow-up session with the same participants will take place in a few months to observe whether the knowledge acquired has been applied and if the presentation had a lasting impact.