Savion announces the start of commercial operation of Madison Fields Solar Project (MFSP) in Madison County, Ohio. The 180-megawatt (MW) solar facility is Savion’s first project to be designed, developed, constructed, and owned by the company.
Savion is also announcing that Amazon has entered into a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with MFSP for offtake of the facility’s full 180 MW capacity generation of solar energy. The project is jointly owned by Savion and funds managed by InfraRed Capital Partners with Shell serving as the project’s asset manager. Over the next 35-40 years, MFSP is expected to produce enough energy to power approximately 38,000 Ohio homes annually.
“The start of commercial operation for Madison Fields Solar Project demonstrates Savion and Shell’s commitment to integrated value and providing green electron access to deliver the products and services customers like Amazon support,” said Nick Lincon, president of Savion. “Today, we are not only celebrating the commencement of Savion’s first constructed and owned project but also how it contributes to our diverse renewable energy development work across the United States, now with more than 1.8 gigawatts (GW) in operation, under contract, and under construction. I am extremely proud of our team’s hard work and dedication in bringing this inaugural solar project online.”
Madison Fields Solar Project has also become one of the first operating utility-scale solar sites to intentionally integrate forage crop production within the array. Savion’s wholly owned subsidiary, ‘Between the Rows’, is devoted to the innovative concept called agrivoltaics, which prioritizes agriculture with resourceful land stewardship and dual-use land practices. This dedicated effort to “think like farmers” across all phases of utility-scale projects, including development, construction, operation, and decommissioning, led to a partnership with The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. This collaboration includes actively testing and growing forage crops, including hay and alfalfa, along with soil health, precision agriculture, and complementary grazing between the rows of solar panels.