Annapolis, MD — Energy Support Services (ESS), a wholly owned subsidiary of New Energy Equity, LLC, has launched an innovative agrivoltaics solution with DSD Renewables (DSD) for managing vegetation at a DSD solar energy site in Winchester, Virginia. Agrivoltaics is the use of land for both agriculture and solar energy generation.

The rocky terrain and exposed stone where a 1.8MW ground-mounted solar project is located made mowing under the arrays impossible because of the risk of damaging the solar and mowing equipment. DSD contracted with ESS for a creative alternative to maintaining the 7-acre site at The Village at Orchard Ridge (TVOR), a Lutheran retirement community. The solution was to contract with Katahdin Acres, a member of the American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA), and employ sheep and pigs to manage the vegetation by grazing.

“Agrivoltaics is a very cost efficient and innovative vegetation management strategy that allows solar to be installed in areas that might not have been considered otherwise,” said Conrad Gross, Energy Support Services’ General Manager. “By using the solar grazing association’s directory and partnering with a local business, Katahdin Acres, the Winchester community is effectively working together to successfully generate renewable energy where it would otherwise be impossible. We’re proud to have facilitated a solution that worked for both DSD and the retirement community to ensure the longevity and success of this solar array.”

Energy Support Services, DSD Renewables, and Katahdin Acres collaborated to address initial concerns from residents at the retirement community about the animals’ welfare, including what they would eat and drink, how they would shelter, and how they would be protected from wildlife. Katahdin Acres brought some of the kunekune pigs and sheep to The Village at Orchard Ridge for a “meet-and-greet” where the business’s experienced team also answered questions from residents.

“We’re seeing agrivoltaics being leveraged more and more as a viable solution to optimizing land use and increasingly allowing renewable projects to pencil,” said David Eisenbud, Senior Director – Origination at DSD. “Having sheep and pigs help us maintain the grounds while giving them a safe place to freely roam is truly a win-win, and further demonstrates our collective commitment to deploying innovative solutions that reduce our projects’ carbon footprint in the communities we serve.”

The vegetation management coordinated by ESS and DSD has been tremendously successful, with lambs born this spring now enjoying the forage available on site. Maintenance costs of grazing are 60% of what it costs to mow the same acreage one time and the forage profile has improved from the initial weedy growth seen last year before the sheep and pigs arrived.

About Energy Support Services

Founded in 2014, Energy Support Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of New Energy Equity, LLC, a subsidiary of ALLETE, Inc. Energy Support Services provides O&M and Asset Management support for solar projects, operating 170MW of projects, under contract with more than 30 different customer entities across 15 states. Monitoring and asset management teams are headquartered in Annapolis, MD, with field technicians located throughout the country to serve our clients. To learn more, visit https://www.energysupportteam.com/.

About DSD Renewables

DSD Renewables (DSD) is a renewable energy solutions platform enabling a more sustainable future by deploying and operating renewable energy solutions, making solar, storage, and EV charging infrastructure more accessible to commercial, industrial, and municipal partners. With in-house expertise, a broad scope of capabilities, and the proprietary DSD Connect Platform, our team provides resources to industry partners and customers across the US, accelerating the deployment and scale of renewable energy to meet aggressive sustainability and net-zero goals. To learn more, visit DSDRenewables.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.