Savion developed the 180 MW solar power plant located in Madison County, one of the first operating utility-scale solar sites to integrate soybeans, alfalfa and forage crop production within the array.
Savion, a Shell Group portfolio company, announced that the Madison Fields Solar Project (MFSP) has achieved commercial operation.
The 180 MW solar power plant is located in Madison County, Ohio and is one of the first operating utility-scale solar sites to intentionally integrate soybeans, alfalfa and forage crop production within the array.
Savion developed and built the project and will share ownership equally with InfraRed Capital Partners. Shell is the asset manager of the project.
A local public hearing was conducted online in December 2020, where 13 of the 14 registered witnesses elected to provide testimony. Ten individuals testified in support of the proposed facility, while two people expressed opposition, and one individual requested that the applicant consider specific environmental management practices at the facility.
Savion entered into a long-term power purchase agreement with Amazon as the sole offtaker for electricity generated by MFSP. Over the next 35 to 40 years, the solar plant is expected to produce enough energy to power approximately 38,000 Ohio homes annually. The project will connect to the regional power grid controlled by PJM and is expected to contribute $1.62 million annually to local taxing entities throughout the life of the project, according to Savion.
“Today, we are not only celebrating the commencement of Savion’s first constructed and owned project but also how it contributes to our diverse renewable energy development work across the United States,” said Nick Lincon, president of Savion.
The installation is made up of 420,000 solar modules on single-axis trackers. The agrivoltaic aspect of MFSP was designed by Savion’s wholly owned subsidiary, Between the Rows, a company that Savion said is dedicated to “think like farmers” across all phases of utility-scale projects, including development, construction, operation, and decommissioning.
Between the Rows partnered with The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences in actively testing and growing forage crops, including hay and alfalfa, along with soil health and precision agriculture. Once the crops and grasses come in, the plan is to graze livestock on the site.
The construction area is 1,696 acres with about 1,280 acres inside the fence, 125 of which are planted with corn and soybeans. The 415 acres outside the fence will be vegetated or returned to farming, Savion reports. During construction trees were cleared from a 4.3-acre area of the site, which represented less than 1% of the total project footprint.
Savion reports that with the operation of Madison Fields it now has 1.8 GW in operation, under contract or under construction.
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