Partnership Spotlight: Solar

Building successful solar pairings to support farmer education in North Carolina

Renew Petra Solar/ Alex Grier- Asheboro & Salisbury, NC

Project size: 38 acres 

Randolph & Rowan Counties, NC

Type of operation: Sheep

Objective 1: Contracted Solar Grazing

Step by step:

  • 2020: Alex contacts NC Choices interested in solar grazing.
  • Jan 2021: NC Choices connects Alex with Renew Petra as a potential grazer for a 33 acre solar in Asheboro NC. 
  • Feb 2021: Alex submitted a proposal and grazing plan. Both parties agreed Alex would manage mowing and grazing of the entire site. Contract, including payment and maintenance, is finalized.
  • March/April 2021: In preparation for grazing, Alex overseeded some of the site with rye, fescue, and clover and reinforced fencing to keep out predators.
  • April/May 202: Alex purchased and moved a total of ~20 ewes on the site for the initial run to graze the spring/early summer.  Areas with no grass initially established, did not get grazed until new forage was established later in the fall season.
  • Fall 2021: Alex secured a grazing contract on a second 5 acre solar site with Renew Petra.

Summary:

When beginning farmer, Alex Greer with 37 Roots Farm, contacted NC Choices with an interest in solar grazing, he was raising a handful of sheep on his grandfather’s farm with no land access options to expand.  Although eager to expand his livestock, he struggled to justify the investment needed given the small scale of his operation.

Alex completed the NC Choices’ solar grazing inquiry sheet as part of the beginning farmer project early into the project.  NC Choices was eventually able to identify a 33 acre solar site just south of the farmer’s location that was available for grazing via Renew Petra solar company.  The site was 32 miles away from his farm, so it’s a little further than he preferred but given his limited expansion options he was willing to explore it.  All parties met at the site to review the area and discuss expectations.  Renew Petra shared their expectations and guidelines for vegetation maintenance such as ensuring that the vegetation does not exceed 18 inches in order to prevent vegetation touching or shading the panels.  Weeding, herbicide use, and other parameters were included. Renew Petra requested that Alex submit a proposal outlining his plan to the company including a general grazing plan and negotiations commenced.  NC Choices  was able to provide Alex with example budgets, solar contract templates, and resources from partners such as the American Solar Grazing Association.  Alex submitted his proposal and after a few weeks both parties agreed Alex would maintain the site through grazing and mowing at his discretion in order to meet the requirements.  The team noticed some evidence of coyotes entering the site, so trapping and assessing fence parameters were top priority followed by overseeding of some areas with desirable forages before introducing sheep.   After a couple of months of demonstrating the ability to manage this site Alex was able to secure a second site location through Renew Petra.

Sample Vegetation Management from ASGA (sample template here)

Early site visit and spotted predator entry points

A gravel road leads straight up, disappearing over a hill. To the right of the road is a fence, to the left are solar panels, faced up
A barbed wire fence in the foreground. A gravel road leads straight up, disappearing over a hill. To the right of the road is a fence, to the left are solar panels, faced up. There are two electrical poles near the panels
A fence cuts diagonally across the photo. On the far side of the fence are two electrical poles and a field of solar panels
A large sign on a fence for Hopewell Friends Solar from Cypress Creek Renewables
One large solar panel taking up the whole left of the photo. To the right is a fence and behind the fence and in the background are barren trees
The photo is angled at a solar panel straigh up, the underside of the panel is visible. This panel is in the center of the photo and to the left and right of this panel are other solar panels. In the background are barren trees and blue sky
Underside view of a solar panel, looks similar to the underside of metal bleachers. There are metal panels running up and down. The solar panel is in a barren field
Birds eye view of a rectangular small hole in the ground. This hole shows a large pipe that is not fully connected
Landscape view of a fall/barren scene with brown trees and shrubs. In the middle ground on the left are a few solar panels
Four lines of solar panels. Barren ground in the foreground and in the background barren trees against blue sky

Sheep move onto site

Two white sheep in the center of the photo. They are laying in the shade under a solar panel with green grass all around
A large tank being moved in between two solar panels
Rows of solar panels running up and down the photo. In between the middle rows are three sheep grazing in grass