A solar farm in northern Illinois is drawing notice for what is growing beneath its panels.
NBC Chicago reported that French Road Solar in Burlington, Illinois, has planted several acres of native flowers around about 7,000 solar panels. The site produces electricity while also providing habitat for pollinators and other wildlife.
“We often see birds nesting around the panels,” Keith Hevenor, communications manager for Nexamp, told the outlet. “We find a lot of bees’ nests on the panels. We see foxes, smaller wildlife, love this kind of habitat.”
A TV report showed rows of panels above native vegetation chosen to grow in Illinois conditions. Hevenor said the custom seed mixes include plants like “Black Eyed Susan [and] Yarrow,” along with a “whole variety of clovers, daisies, fleabane.”
The approach is known as agrivoltaics, which combines solar power generation with agricultural use on the same land. In this case, the habitat is intended to help support pollinators used in farming.
NBC Chicago reported that pollinator-friendly plantings can improve soil, reduce erosion and require very little mowing, cutting maintenance needs. The deep-rooted vegetation also helps maintain soil health and preserves the land for future agricultural use.
Nexamp leases land from farmers, and Hevenor said French Road Solar is on a lower-yield part of a farm.
“So, this is a good way to put that to use and keep the viability of the farm,” he told NBC Chicago. “One down season can really hurt a farmer. But in this case, they can count on those lease payments for the long term.”
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, pollinators assist with the reproduction of up to 35 percent of global food crops. NBC Chicago reported that some studies suggest pollinating insects may improve crop quality and yields while also helping manage pests and disease.
Because the sites are maintained with native vegetation instead of traditional row crops, they usually do not require pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers during operation. NBC Chicago reported that Chicago-based Trajectory Energy Partners is using a similar pollinator-focused model across about 80 solar sites in Illinois.
Kiersten Sheets, senior project development manager for Trajectory Energy Partners, said the company is “intentionally seeding underneath the solar panels,” creating “a native Illinois prairie” with shorter grasses and blooming plants that stay active year-round.
She added that the vegetation “helps with control of water infiltration on the site, it helps with the erosion, it also helps build a better soil base.”
Hevenor said the broader aim is to build cleaner infrastructure that also benefits communities and the environment.
“As clean energy resources increase, we have to find ways to make sure that they are not carrying on the legacy of the past of our fossil fuel,” he said. “It’s creating employment opportunities. It’s created investment in local communities. It’s providing new tax revenue in the local communities.”
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