This article is listed in these extra classes:
Energy Support Services (ESS), a completely owned subsidiary of New Energy Equity, LLC, has launched an progressive agrivoltaics resolution with DSD Renewables (DSD) for the administration of crops in a photo voltaic power web site in Winchester, Virginia. The firm gives Operations & Maintenance (O&M) and Asset Management help for photo voltaic tasks, managing 170MW in 15 states for over 30 totally different buyer entities. Agrivoltaics combines agriculture and photo voltaic power era on the identical land.
Solving Challenging Terrain with Agrivoltaics
The 1.8MW ground-mounted photo voltaic mission, situated on rocky terrain and uncovered rock, makes conventional slicing unattainable because of the danger of damaging gear. DSD partnered with ESS to deal with this and develop a inventive different to sustaining the 7-acre web site of The Village at Orchard Ridge (TVOR), a Lutheran retirement neighborhood. ESS contracts with Katahdin Acres, a member of the American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA), to make use of sheep and pigs for crop administration by grazing.
Energy Support Services, DSD Renewables, and Katahdin Acres are working collectively to deal with preliminary issues from retirement neighborhood residents about animal welfare. This consists of making certain correct meals, water, shelter, and safety from wild animals. A “meet-and-greet” was organized the place residents may work together with among the kunekune pigs and sheep, and the skilled staff from Katahdin Acres answered questions, easing any issues.
Benefits of Agrivoltaics
According to Conrad Gross, General Manager of Energy Support Services, agrivoltaics is a cost-efficient and progressive vegetation administration technique that enables photo voltaic installations in beforehand thought-about unsuitable areas. By utilizing the Solar Grazing Association’s listing and partnering with native companies, the Winchester neighborhood is successfully working collectively to generate renewable power in difficult environments.
David Eisenbud, Senior Director – Origination at DSD, highlights two advantages of this method. Using sheep and pigs for land upkeep offers the animals a protected atmosphere to roam whereas optimizing land use for renewable tasks. This progressive resolution highlights the dedication to cut back the carbon footprint of photo voltaic tasks in native communities.
Successful Implementation and Future Prospects
The crop administration technique has confirmed profitable, with lambs born this spring already thriving on the obtainable forage. Maintenance prices related to grazing are 60% decrease than conventional mowing, and forage high quality has improved considerably from the weed progress noticed earlier than the introduction of animals.
