Community solar energy company Chaberton energy hopes to engage Maryland farmers in bringing together agricultural operations at PV project sites. Chaberton is issuing two requests for proposals (RFPs) for 27 acres of land for agricultural voltaics in Montgomery County.
Credit: Chaberton Energy
The farmers are given free access to the land and receive compensation for vegetation management. Chaberton is working with Okovate Sustainable Energy to collect and evaluate proposals from farmers interested in using the land under and between the project’s rows of solar panels for farming or animal grazing.
“These projects are among the first agricultural voltaic projects in Montgomery County,” said Ryan Boswell, VP of development at Chaberton Energy. “Everyone benefits when farmers, communities, local governments and energy developers work together toward a shared set of goals.”
Farmers interested in applying must develop customized agricultural plans for each location, which must be reviewed by the Montgomery County Office of Agriculture.
“Together we are building the energy network we need while keeping farmland productive,” said Miles Braxton, CEO and co-founder of Okovate. “This is an opportunity to provide land access to local farmers looking to expand or start their operations, while also allowing them to lease land for solar energy that will help meet growing energy demand.”
Chaberton’s Sugarloaf project in Dickerson will be 5.23 MW and built on a 16 or 19 hectare site, with a three hectare buffer zone. About 10 hectares of land between the rows of solar panels and a total of 13 hectares are available for agricultural use. The Ramiere project in Poolesville has a capacity of 3.88 MW and covers 11 hectares, of which approximately eight hectares are covered with solar panels and a 2 hectare buffer zone. About five hectares of land between the rows of solar panels and a total of seven hectares are available for agricultural use.
Project information and application forms are available here.
News item from Chaberton Energy
