Agrivoltaics - Part Two
Tim Hammerich
News Reporter
Is it possible for solar farms to also be commercial agricultural producers? The answer to that question is yes, and Silicon Ranch is proving it across several locations in 15 states. CTO Nick DeVries says that in addition to generating energy, they are growing forage and raising sheep.
De Vries… “Our most important crop is the solar crop and the solar energy we harvest. But then the next is perennial grasses for forage. We ranch sheep on nearly 10,000 acres of our land. So we're looking to have good perennial forage and then different, whether it's a cool season annual, or a warm season annual, to ensure that we have good forage for our sheep.”
But why sheep? De Vries said that they work well for many reasons, but they are also looking into the possibility of cattle.
De Vries… “I actually do have research into using cattle specifically. So we have a program to raise solar panels up just enough where you can still have good animal welfare beneath our solar power plants without adding too much cost to the equipment and then the energy that we produce.”
Silicon Ranch generates energy for utility companies - both investor owned and rural cooperative utilities.
