Solar Power World is proud to present the second-annual SPW Rising Stars. These solar industry workers are improving the industry and inspiring others to join the clean energy workforce. Read all of our Rising Star profiles here.
In the push to make large-scale solar projects as environmentally friendly as possible, Tiffany Buck is making her mark. As the director of sustainability at Arevon Energy, Buck is responsible for developing and implementing environmental best practices into the developer’s greenfield and brownfield solar developments. Through her sustainability work, Buck got involved in the American Solar Grazing Association, where she helped launch ASGA’s first agrivoltaics training for solar professionals. Buck’s work is helping developers and project teams across the country responsibly integrate livestock grazing into renewable energy projects. Below is a Q&A with Buck.
SPW: What are the most challenging and, alternatively, most rewarding parts of working in the solar and storage industry right now?
Buck: The most challenging part is bridging the gap between ambition and action, especially when it comes to sustainability. Everyone agrees we want to build responsible and sustainable energy systems, but translating those values into consistent on-the-ground practices across projects takes persistence, creativity and partnership.
The most rewarding part is seeing that work come to life, when a solar site starts supporting sheep grazing, or when people begin to see renewable energy as part of a thriving ecosystem, not separate from it. Those moments remind me that change in this industry doesn’t just happen in policy or boardrooms, it happens in the soil, the grass and the communities around our projects.
What advice would you give someone just starting their career in solar?
Stay curious and stay grounded. Solar is evolving fast, and it’s easy to get caught up in the pace or the ever-changing regulatory landscape. But the best ideas often come from listening to landowners, to local communities, to those who’ve been managing the land long before we arrived.
Also, don’t wait for permission to think creatively. The industry needs people who ask, “What if?” and who are willing to test better ways of doing things, whether that’s managing vegetation differently, designing for recyclability or finding new ways for projects to create lasting benefits in local communities.
What accomplishments are you most proud of so far in your solar career?
I’m proud of helping shape how the solar industry thinks about land stewardship and co-benefits. From building company-wide sustainability frameworks to piloting grazing and pollinator programs, I’ve focused on turning sustainability from a statement into a system.
This year was especially meaningful as ASGA launched the first Solar Grazing Certification Training Program for Solar Professionals, an idea I helped shape and develop to equip the industry with the knowledge and tools needed to prepare for and manage solar grazing effectively.
What’s a Big Idea you have about the renewable energy transition?
The renewable energy transition can also be a regenerative transition. We have an opportunity to build infrastructure that heals landscapes, not just powers them.
Imagine if every solar project improved soil health, supported pollinators and strengthened local food systems, and if every megawatt came with measurable ecological and community benefits. That’s the next phase of clean energy, moving beyond the panels to create resilient, living systems that sustain both people and planet.
Who or what has had a major influence on your work in renewable energy?
I’ve always been influenced by the people who work closest to the land. I spent my early years in the Texas Panhandle, watching my grandfather care for the same land where his father once raised cattle. For my family, that land was everything, a source of livelihood, connection and pride.
Farmers, graziers and landowners who understand the land’s limits and potential have shaped how I think about sustainability in renewables. Their practical wisdom about stewardship, resourcefulness and balance reminds me that progress works best when it strengthens what’s already there, not replaces it. That belief shapes how I think about solar, as something that should add value to the land and the people connected to it.
