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    Soltage acquires 28 MW solar project at Cincinnati Zoo from Melink Solar Development

    Sept. 21, 2022
    The agrivoltaic project includes a partnership with a local sheep farmer to use sheep grazing for vegetation management under the solar projects
    Photo by Photo by JuliaDorian, Dreamstime.
    Julia Dorian Dreamstime 632b4f3d93b06

    Power producer Soltage has announced the close of a 28 MW solar project, which is under construction on Cincinnati Zoo-owned land in Ohio. The firm acquired this project from Melink Solar Development.

    It is the firm’s first project to use sheep grazing to manage the vegetation underneath the solar projects that will help maintain soil health and restore soil carbon. Soltage has partnered with local sheep farmer Ohio Solar Grazing for this agrivoltaic project. Agrivoltaics is the use of land for both agriculture and solar photovoltaic energy generation. It’s also sometimes referred to as agrisolar, dual use solar, low impact solar. Solar grazing is a variation where livestock graze in and around solar panels.

    "This unique agrivoltaic project, built against the backdrop of the historic Cincinnati Zoo, marks the first site in our portfolio to implement sheep grazing to maintain the land, giving us a chance to partner with the local community in new ways," said Jesse Grossman, CEO of Soltage. "We're proud to expand clean energy in Ohio and support American businesses in their transition to decarbonize operations."

    "Using the Cincinnati Zoo's land for clean energy generation is in perfect alignment with its vision of conveying knowledge, conserving nature and serving the community," said Mark Fisher, Vice President of Facilities, Planning, and Sustainability at Cincinnati Zoo. "We're thrilled to host this project that creates opportunities for education about solar energy, implements the restorative benefits of sheep grazing for soil health, all while creating new jobs."

    Additionally, two power purchase agreements have been signed with Calpine Energy Solutions so electricity from both the phases of the project can be used to meet its customer’s electricity requirements.  

    About the Author

    EnergyTech Staff

    Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

    Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    He can be reached at [email protected]. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.