Native plants and pollinators strategically incorporated into solar installations through agrivoltaics offer enormous payoffs for the soil, the environment, and nearby farms.
Agrivoltaics is the practice of combining agriculture and solar energy production on the same land. There are a wide variety of ways and many reasons to deploy agrivoltaics, to include cultivating pollinator habitats, livestock grazing or crop production, and the benefits are enormous. To highlight the value of agrivoltaics in the real world, Chaberton is launching a series on the different ways we work to incorporate agriculture into our solar projects (and vice versa – more on that in a later installment!). In this first part of the series, we focus on local plant and pollinator habitats.
Is it art or is it science?
The development of true solar “farms” (incorporating agrivoltaics) requires command over science of all types, including physics, chemistry, and biology, not to mention all the other specialists that help in developing and building solar projects. Key to the development team are those professionals who understand how solar fits into the natural environment and can support local habitats.
Since its founding, Chaberton has been committed to good stewardship of the land we use to develop solar projects and to support the local environment. As a result, from the start, we voluntarily designed our projects to incorporate native grasses and pollinators, for instance following the Maryland Pollinator-Friendly Solar Designation certification program. Developed conscientiously, solar projects can:
- Help pollinator populations
- Increase biodiversity
- Improve crop quality and increase yield (impacts can be seen up to 5 miles away)
- Preserve land
- And improve soil health
We sat down with Monarch Vegetation Services, our agrivoltaics partner for Project Friendship in Howard County, Md., to learn more about their expertise in native plants, pollinators, natural screening, erosion prevention, biodiversity and more.
Turns out, there’s a lot more to consider than one might think.
Native pollinators take patience…and time
Before a vegetation management company gets involved in a project, they first must understand two things: ground conditions, which they validate through soil sampling, and project developer goals.
One important element to successful local pollinators is advanced planning. Local pollinators often require three years to fully establish their network of deep roots, which, among other benefits, help nourish the soil and reduce stormwater runoff.
“When our clients come to us with a goal of having a nice pollinator site, we make sure they understand that it’s a long game. It takes time for native pollinators to really get established,” said Randi Grout, Monarch’s project manager who has worked on solar projects across the mid-Atlantic region.
With the lifecycle of community solar installations lasting three or four decades, they are the perfect siting for a long-term pollinator habitat.
Local pollinators promote soil quality, prevent erosion
“A turf grass mix typically only has a root depth of about 6 inches,” said Randi Grout, Monarch’s project manager who has worked on solar projects across the mid-Atlantic region. “On the other hand, some of the native grasses we work with can root down 13 feet.”
So, how does that help? Grout explains, “Think about what that does with the soil structure once you’ve got a mature native habitat with that level of deep rooting. You’re driving organic matter deeper into the soil. You’re getting more insect and bacteria action deeper in the soil. You’re creating additional capillaries in the soil deeper down.”
Not only that, deep roots allow for deeper water infiltration during storm events. “And that’s what’s really nice about a lot of these native grasses and native plants,” Grout continues. “It’s reducing stormwater runoff on a project, especially during the growing season.”
Local pollinators bring biodiversity
Why are insects (bugs!) important to agriculture? They provide essential pollination services, can balance the ecosystem and food web, and help decompose organic material.
And solar helps support these critical critters!
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory said in a 2024 report that insect populations flourish in the restored habitats of solar energy facilities. In fact, the study said, in less than five years, insect populations tripled near solar sites with local pollinators.
Some of the most important public benefits of a native pollinator friendly solar site include:
- Increased pollinator presence at the site and often surrounding area farms, orchards and gardens within a three-mile radius of the site.
- Critical habitat creation for songbirds, native insects and butterflies.
- The opportunity for honeybee apiaries to be installed, creating agricultural use of the site.
A few examples of plants that can be used:
- Black-Eyed Susan — our home state of Maryland’s state flower!
- Wild Bergamot
- Lance-Leaf Coreopsis
- Mountain Mints
- Eastern Columbine
- Gardenia
- Spiderwort
Factors to consider when selecting native pollinators:
- Are there state or local permit requirements for local pollinators?
- What is the timeline?
- Will there be vehicle traffic that would require regular mowing that could affect the plant habitat?
- On agricultural fields, what is the history of herbicide use? This could affect the ability of pollinators to take root and grow.
- What is the low-edge height of the solar panels? For example, if the lower edge of the panels is only two feet, then the site can’t support pollinators that grow to three feet.
- Are there considerations such as limiting the solar array view from outside the project that would call for tree planting around the perimeter?
- Will the company operating the project take steps to maintain a healthy pollinator habitat?
Committed to the best solutions for planting on solar projects
At Chaberton, we work with companies such as Monarch and Okovate Sustainable Energy to conduct a thorough analysis of local plant species at our sites to determine the right mix of native grasses, wildflowers and other plants and trees for the project. These pollinator habitats are important for the planet, and important to local communities. And because of that, they’re important to Chaberton, too.
About Chaberton Energy
Headquartered in Maryland, Chaberton Energy is a public benefit corporation developing renewable distributed energy projects, with a particular emphasis on community solar and solar for businesses. Chaberton was named to the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies and ranks as the No. 1 fastest-growing community solar company, the No. 2 fastest-growing Maryland company, and the No. 34 fastest-growing company overall.
Media Contact
Lia Morrison
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