OU Gibbs College of Architecture associate professor, Dr. Andrés Cavieres received a 2-year $497,750 grant from the Oklahoma Center for Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) for the development of innovative solutions to streamline the deployment of ground mount photovoltaic systems, with a special focus in the area of Agrivoltaics. This is an emerging practice, which seek greater land use efficiency by combining the production of solar energy with agricultural production on the same field.
V-clamps for photovoltaic modules.
Dr. Cavieres is the principal investigator for this grant, partnering with VesprSolar, to pursue research and development of new technologies to lower the Balance of System costs associated with hardware and labor of solar construction. There is significant room for improvement in this area, as many of the solutions currently available in the market are not only expensive, but also susceptible to multiple types of failure. In this context, a key principle for the project is the development of innovations that not only reduce entry barriers for the deployment of solar, but that are also capable of addressing increasingly stringent operational requirements.
This research is part of an ongoing track record of innovations led by Dr. Cavieres in the PV Integration Lab at the Gibbs College of Architecture. It is built on top of the V-Clamp platform, a patented technology that is already transforming the solar industry around the world with a much faster and secure way to attach PV modules.
The University of Oklahoma College of Architecture is proud to announce that Model Schools in the Model City, authored by Director of the Institute for Quality Communities, Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., has been named one of ten finalists for the 2026 ASALH Book Prize for Best New Book in African American History and Culture.
This semester, students in the LA 5535 Studio: Ecological Planning and Design, led by Prof. Afsana Sharmin, took on an ambitious hypothetical project to redesign key parts of the OU campus. Their mission: to tackle the critical real-world challenge of stormwater management through innovative green design.
Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
