Solar project starts commercial operation in Pike Township – Columbus Messenger
Guest speakers at Savion LLCs Power Up event, marking the start of commercial operations of Madison Fields Solar Project in Pike Township, included: (from left) Scott Zeimetz, chief development officer for Savion; J.C. Sandberg, chief advocacy officer for American Clean Power Association; Glenn Wright, senior vice president of Shell Energy Americas; and Merle Madrid, principal for Amazon Web Services Public Policy.
(Posted July 16, 2024)
Savion LLC, a Shell Group portfolio company, announced on July 11 the start of commercial operation of Madison Fields Solar Project located in Pike Township in Madison County. The 180-megawatt solar facility is Savion’s first project to be designed, developed, constructed, and owned by the company.
Savion also announced that Amazon has entered into a long-term Power Purchase Agreement with Madison Fields for offtake of the facility’s full 180-megawatt capacity generation of solar energy. The project is jointly owned by Savion and funds managed by InfraRed Capital Partners, with Shell serving as the project’s asset manager. Over the next 35 to 40 years, Madison Fields is expected to produce enough energy to power approximately 38,000 Ohio homes annually.
“The start of commercial operation for Madison Fields Solar Project demonstrates Savion and Shell’s commitment to integrated value and providing green electron access to deliver the products and services customers like Amazon support,” said Nick Lincon, president of Savion.
“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, now with more than 1.8 gigawatts in operation, under contract, and under construction.”
Madison Fields Solar Project, located in Pike Township, is one of the first operating utility-scale solar sites to intentionally integrate soybeans, alfalfa, and forage crop production within the array.
Madison Fields also is one of the first operating utility-scale solar sites to intentionally integrate forage crop production within the array. Savion’s wholly owned subsidiary, Between the Rows, is devoted to the concept called agrivoltaics, which prioritizes agriculture with resourceful land stewardship and dual-use land practices.
This effort to “think like farmers” across all phases of utility-scale projects, including development, construction, operation, and decommissioning, led to a partnership with The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. This collaboration includes actively testing and growing forage crops, including hay and alfalfa, along with soil health, precision agriculture, and complementary grazing between the rows of solar panels.
Savion began developing Madison Fields Solar Project in early 2018. The Ohio Power Siting Board issued approval of the project in January 2021. Construction began in December 2022 and concluded in December 2023. The project is comprised of 400,000 bifacial solar panels on 1,696 acres.
Nine neighboring residences are participating in Savion’s residential solar program. This is Savion’s second developed utility-scale solar project to provide opportunities for neighboring residents to have rooftop and ground mount solar panels installed on their properties. Savion partners with installer OGW Energy Resources for this program.
This post was originally published on 3rd party site mentioned in the title of this site
