In Mechanicsburg, Ohio, a solution to the long-standing issue of utility-scale solar projects consuming critical farmland has emerged. The Madison Fields Solar Farm, a 180-megawatt renewable energy initiative by Savion, is set to power 38,000 homes while exploring the viability of cultivating crops amid its 400,000 solar panels sprawled across 1,000 acres in Pike Township.
"Madison Fields is pioneering in its dual focus on clean energy and agriculture, integrating both to support the transition to sustainable energy,” stated Scott Zeimetz, Savion’s Chief Development Officer, during the farm’s opening ceremony.
Savion, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, routinely partners with Ohio State University to experiment with crops such as wheat, soybeans, alfalfa, corn, and hay mixes at the site. This research includes soil health assessments and navigating agricultural machinery through the solar panel rows.
Zeimetz emphasized, “Savion aims to lead in agrivoltaics, blending agriculture and solar energy to benefit local communities.”
Solar farms can serve as a form of land conservation by providing a 30-year break from intensive agricultural use, allowing native plants and pollinators to thrive. However, concerns about covering valuable farmland with solar panels persist. These farms are temporary, offer rental income to landowners, and may not be as detrimental as feared.
Regarding property values, solar farms can negatively impact suburban residential areas where green spaces are scarce but have less effect in rural areas. Appraisers generally provide a balanced view of properties near solar installations.
The construction of solar farms involves land clearing, which can lead to soil compaction, erosion, and habitat loss. Balancing clean energy goals with ecological health is crucial. Additionally, while solar panels directly harness sunlight for energy, which is more efficient than processing crops, it’s important to manage soil health to mitigate erosion and runoff issues.
Construction of Madison Fields began in December 2022 and concluded in December 2023. This marks Savion’s first fully developed, constructed, and operated solar project. Savion’s acquisition by Shell New Energies U.S., a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, in December 2021, has bolstered its endeavors.
Savion’s subsidiary, Between the Rows, evaluates the feasibility of integrating farming within large-scale solar farms. Partnering with Ohio State, they study crops grown around solar panels on a 2-acre site in northwest Ohio, supported by a $1.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to expand this research at Madison Plains.
Scott Shearer, Chair of the Department of Food, Agriculture & Biological Engineering at Ohio State, posed a critical question: “Can we grow and raise crops under solar panels?”
Savion is working with Ohio State to transform the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London into a national training hub for farming around solar panels. Additionally, Savion aims to collaborate with Tolles Career and Tech Center near Plain City to establish a regional training center for solar power and agrivoltaics.
Madison Fields’ agrivoltaics initiative coincides with a surge in solar farm developments across Ohio, with approximately 60 farms in various stages of progress. Collectively, these projects cover around 95,000 acres in a state with 13.1 million acres of farmland in 2022. Despite concerns, far more farmland is being lost to non-solar projects.
Shearer noted that determining the economic viability of growing crops at Madison Fields would take two to three years.
Savion plans to integrate agrivoltaics into its upcoming Oak Run project in Madison County. This substantial $1 billion project, covering 6,050 acres, will generate 800 megawatts of power, making it Ohio’s largest solar farm.
Oak Run aims to be the nation’s largest agrivoltaic program. In its first year, it mandates grazing 1,000 sheep and cultivating crops on 2,000 acres. Within eight years, at least 70% of the farmable project area, or 4,000 acres, must incorporate the technology.
Amazon, a staunch supporter of renewable energy, is purchasing the power generated by Madison Fields. Merle Madrid of Amazon highlighted the collaboration with Ohio State University and Savion to maximize community benefits from the investment.
In addition to Madison Fields, Amazon also sources power from the Fox Squirrel solar project, with Oak Run set to follow as the state’s second-largest project.
