Thinking like a farmer in Ohio
Savion integrates agrivoltaics - a combination of solar power and agriculture into its 180-megawatt solar facility
Sarah Moser was a farmer long before she worked for Savion, LLC, one of America’s largest, and utility-scale solar and energy storage project development companies.
After going to college and serving in the U.S. Air Force, Moser returned to work on the farm her grandfather established in Madison County, Ohio, in 1959. Now, she also serves as Director of Farming Operations and Agrivoltaics at Savion, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell.
Where solar and farming meet
Moser was pivotal in integrating farming with Savion’s Madison Fields Solar Project, which is impressive in its own right: The 180-megawatt (MW) solar facility is expected to produce enough low carbon energy to power approximately 38,000 homes annually over the next 35-40 years.
But what makes it unique is that it is Savion’s first project to integrate agrivoltaics – or a combination of solar power and agriculture. This practice provides a way for the installation of utility-scale solar sites to become the foundation of dual-use land opportunities, allowing utilization of more of the site's land.
In July 2024, Savion began commercial operation of Madison Fields Solar Project in Madison County, Ohio. InfraRed Capital Partners and Savion jointly own the project, and Shell serves as the project’s asset manager.
Farmer first mentality
The Savion team, with the help of leaders like Moser, embraced the mantra to “think like farmers” in being resourceful land stewards. From site acquisition to project operations, the principles of farming and the potential to harness clean energy intersect, generating this opportunity for further land use.
“I’m farmer first,” Moser said. “So, it’s rewarding to be involved with a project of this scale that can enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, and provide low carbon energy.”
To get to the core of fully integrating farming with the project, Savion established Between the Rows, LLC, a collaboration with The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, to determine the best practices to cultivate crops in conjunction with utility-scale solar production. The collaboration was awarded the Department of Energy’s Foundational Agrivoltaic Research for Megawatt Scale grant.
“We all use energy, and we need more of it,” said Glenn Wright, Senior Vice President of Shell Energy Americas. “Society faces a complex challenge — moving to a low-carbon energy future while simultaneously meeting the ever-increasing energy demand of the world. This site shows Shell is committed to providing renewable energy for our customers.”
Overhead view of Madison Fields solar project.
The harvest
Agricultural production began in the Spring of 2023 at the Madison Fields Project, with 45 acres of wheat and soybeans planted inside the fence, and an 80-acre soybean harvest later that year. The ground was conditioned to seed alfalfa, cool season hay mix, a variety of cover crops, and soybeans in May of 2024. Corn and soybeans were also planted on approximately 125 acres inside the fence in May and June. Under this model, the farmer invests in the start-up of the harvest, including seeding and fertilizer, and keep the revenue the harvest generates.
The Savion team also planted 25 acres of native seed and pollinator habitat, and the rest of the entire site has been seeded with a mix suitable for hay and grazing.
The project's goal is have the site dedicated to agriculture within five years.
Renewable power is playing an increasingly important role in the world’s transition to net-zero emissions and in supporting energy security. Alongside providing the energy the world needs today, Shell is making selective investments and developing power projects to deliver some of the low-carbon energy solutions that the world will need over the years ahead. In Shell’s power business, we bring together the full value chain from renewable power generation, to trading and sales under a regional, integrated model - with the aim of profitably delivering more and cleaner energy solutions.
Agrivoltaics with Sarah
Title: VPET_Socials_Savion-Sarah v3.1 20240626
Duration: 0:46 minutes
Description:
A short video about Agrivoltaics.
VPET_Socials_Savion-Sarah v3.1 20240626 Transcript
[Background music]
Mellow acoustic guitar music
[Visuals]
A head-and-shoulders shot of a woman in dark sunglasses, a high-vis vest and a white hardhat that reads “Savion” (Sarah) as she speaks to camera. She is standing in a field in front of a row of large solar panels. Screen transitions to a wide-angle shot of Sarah smiling in front of solar panels. Text appears to the right of frame in yellow, white and red text boxes.
[Sarah]
Hi, I’m Sarah. I work for Savion.
[Text displays]
Sarah Moser. Director of Farming Operations and Agrivoltaics – Savion. Acquired by Shell in 2021.
[Visuals]
Screen transitions to a drone shot of sprawling fields of solar panels, machinery and vehicles with white text overlaying the shot in centre frame. The text remains onscreen as we cut to a drone shot of rows of solar panels in a field with a dirt track running through the middle, then to a wide-angle overhead shot of fields with rows of solar panels stretching into the distance against a countryside backdrop and a blue sky. Cut to a head shot of Sarah standing in a farm building in front of farm machinery as she speaks to camera. She wears a black baseball cap with “Between The Rows” stitched on it.
[Text displays]
Savion
[Sarah]
Savion has been developing solar parks across the United States, but this one in Ohio is unique.
[Visuals]
A driver’s view shot from inside a vehicle as it travels along a country road with fields either side. Cut to a shot through the driver’s window of an open metal gate with a sign which reads “Authorized personnel only, no trespassing” as the vehicle travels through it. Cut to a wide-angle shot of a combine harvester in a field, moving between rows of solar panels as two workers walk alongside it. White text appears to the centre of frame.
[Text displays]
Agrivoltaics
[Sarah]
What makes it so special? It’s all down to the concept of agrivoltaics.
[Visuals]
An overhead shot of the combine harvester moving between the rows of solar panels as two workers walks alongside it, overlaid with white text. Yellow text appears, as the white text changes and moves underneath it.
[Text displays]
Solar power + Agriculture
[Sarah]
Put simply, it’s a combination of solar power and agriculture.
[Visuals]
Speeded-up drone shot of rows of solar panels in fields stretching into the distance. White and yellow text appears to the bottom right of frame, then changes to all-yellow text as the number decreases from 1,200 to 470. Cut to a wider-angle drone shot of rows of solar panels in fields stretching into the distance with a countryside backdrop. Cut to a shot of a combine harvester moving between rows of solar panels, cutting crops as it goes. Cut to a shot through crops as a combine harvester approaches the camera, moving between the rows of solar panels.
[Text displays]
1,200-acre site. 470 acres of solar panels & equipment.
[Sarah]
At our 1,200-acre site in Ohio, only 470 acres is taken up by panels and equipment, which leaves us plenty of room to grow crops.
[Visuals]
Screen transitions to a head-and-shoulders shot of Sarah in dark sunglasses and a white Savion hardhat, standing in front of a row of solar panels as she speaks to camera. Cut to a moving shot through a vehicle windscreen of rows of solar panels as the vehicle drives alongside them. Cut to a side-on shot of a tractor pulling a large blue plough across a muddy field from right to left. Cut to an overhead shot of a combine harvester moving between rows of solar panels in a field as two workers walk alongside it. Cut to a closer shot of rows of solar panels with crops in between. White text appears to the bottom left of frame. Cut to Sarah walking away from the camera, between rows of solar panels, through long grass.
[Text displays]
Biodiversity
[Sarah]
When Shell acquired Savion in 2021, it was reassuring to know they supported our goals with a project at this scale that can enhance biodiversity and provide low-carbon energy.
[Visuals]
Screen transitions to a drone shot of fields of solar panels stretching into the distance against a countryside backdrop and a cloudy sky. A cut-out of the Shell logo zooms in to turn the screen white. A red and yellow Shell logo centred on a white background with text displaying below.
[Audio]
Shell brand mnemonic played on keys.
[Text display]
#PoweringProgress
© Shell International Limited 2024
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