Greenskies Clean Focus is looking for shepherds to participate in an exciting opportunity for solar grazing -- co-located sheep grazing within an active solar array. The area available is prime for sheepherders interested in grazing sheep on a solar farm for vegetation management. The co-location of agriculture and solar energy generation is an emerging field known as "agrivoltaics."
The parcel comprises approximately 20-acres within a fenced solar facility, scheduled for completion in the Fall of 2023, first grazing season Spring of 2024. The anticipated service life of this solar facility is 20 to 30 years. This solar facility is part of the Connecticut Shared Clean Energy Facility (SCEF) Program for shared solar. The energy generated by the East Windsor solar array will feed into the electric grid, and subscribers to the program will receive credit for their share.
The site is located on a parcel known as Mulnite Farms, zoned agricultural/industrial and residential. The site would be accessed utilizing existing farm access roads off Miller Road and a new gravel road within the fenced solar array. A seven-foot-high chain-link fence will enclose the site with a locking vehicle access gate. Existing buildings and structures are not accessible for storage, but other means are under consideration.
This parcel is classified as prime farmland soils and is well suited for sheep grazing throughout the fenced solar array. It has been used to grow shade tobacco recently. A forage and pollinator-friendly mix of wildflower and grasses will be planted within the fence line.
The grazing pasture will consist of 16.5-foot wide aisles between linear rows of solar panels, with a ground clearance of approximately 3-feet. Sheep will rotate through an internal system of paddocks designed to prevent overgrazing and optimally fertilize the pastures.
Solar grazing will keep this prime farmland in production throughout the lifetime of the solar farm. Sheep are the best-suited animals for the job of solar grazing as they are thorough foragers who can easily reach difficult to maintain areas between and under solar panels. In addition, solar grazing with sheep can replace mowing and further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Greenskies is interested in contracting a local sheep farmer to provide a flock of sheep for solar grazing and serve as our "solar shepherd." Want to learn more? We'd love to talk with you about this opportunity for agricultural with solar dual-use.
About Greenskies Clean Focus
Greenskies Clean Focus offers a full suite of renewable energy solutions to commercial, public sector, and utility energy users throughout the US. Our vertical integration delivers the most cost-competitive solar, battery storage, and low carbon solutions. From beginning to end, our customers work with a single delivery team. Greenskies originates, develops, constructs, and operates, while Clean Focus finances and owns the systems.
Founded in 2009, Greenskies has constructed and operates 270 MW of solar projects across 515 sites in 19 states. Greenskies is the solar partner of choice for landowners, municipalities, and large corporations. Our customers include 51% of Connecticut municipalities and three of the top five US corporate solar users, Amazon, Walmart & Target. In addition, Solar Power World ranked Greenskies the number one commercial solar developer in the US, based on cumulative kW of installations. For more information, please visit www.greenskies.com
