The Importance of Responsible Development
To tackle these the realities of climate change and celebrate what’s already been achieved, Climate Week NYC, which is held alongside the UN General Assembly, brings together heads of government, ministers, business leaders, activists to push for climate progress, decarbonize energy systems, create thriving job markets, and a clean future for the next generations.
As a NYC-based clean energy business, this is an opportunity for us to reflect on what we as an organization can do to minimize our impact. The reality is that no development is spared from negative impacts on the local environment. To minimize our impact during the development and operation of our systems, Convergent will leverage integrated nature-based solutions that both support the local economy and aim to increase biodiversity. To minimize the impact of our systems we take proactive measures. We are especially aware of how solar panels and cleared ground absorb and retain heat, increasing local temperatures through a “photovoltaic heat island” effect.
Agrivolatics 101: What is it? Why does it matter?
Agrivoltaics is the practice of combining agriculture and solar energy production on the same land. Instead of choosing between farmland or solar panels, agrivoltaics integrates the two by installing solar panels in ways that allow crops, grazing, or other agricultural activity to continue underneath or around them.
Key Benefits:
🔅 Dual use of land → Increases land use efficiency and competition between agriculture and renewable energy.
🌱 Microclimate benefits → Crops may benefit from partial shading, which can reduce heat stress, save water, and sometimes even improve yields.
🐑 Livestock integration → Animals like sheep (or our new friend Pablo the llama, pictured below!) can graze under panels, helping with vegetation management.
📉 Reduced Emissions → Livestock grazing is a lower emissions form of vegetation management than other practices can be.
💰 Reduced cost → Livestock grazing can also be more economic (in addition to more sustainable!)
Spotlight: Agrivoltaics at Convergent
Convergent Energy and Power (Convergent) has conducted extensive research on the value of agrivoltaics to alleviate the strain that increased heat could place on local flora and fauna. We have introduced grazing at one of our solar-plus-storage systems to assist in vegetation management, with an opportunity to expand this practice to other locations.
Introducing grazing onto the land of a solar PV system not only supports greener practices but also builds strong relationships with local farmers. If you are interested in what it looks like, learn more here: What is Solar Grazing?
Most recently, we introduced grazing to one of our solar-plus-storage systems in upstate, NY. The flock consists of ~ 150 sheep and one llama named Pablo, who has quickly become an unofficial team mascot! The “crew” lives on site 24/7 and keeps the vegetation throughout our solar field under control.
Why was there one llama, Pablo(!), thrown into this mix? Pablo acts as a security guard for the sheep. He leads them around the site and wards off any predators that may be interested. Pablo and his sheep make a great team, and we’ve already seen great results from their efforts.
How does it work? The ~17 acre plot has been broken up into 6 different sections, or paddocks. Every few days, the sheep are rotated from one paddock to the next. This ensures even vegetation management and that the sheep will always have vegetation to snack on. The flock is tended each day by an on-site farm crew and will be relocated to a barn upon the first snowfall.
Pablo and his crew have been hard at work and we can’t wait to continue to see their progress! This updated vegetation management approach benefits the land, the community, and the environment.
Is Your Organization Planning Ahead?
If you’re looking for an energy storage partner with a commitment to the clean energy transition and environmentally responsible development, look no further!
Convergent has over a decade of expertise financing, owning, and operating energy storage and solar-plus-storage systems for businesses and utilities to lower energy costs, increase sustainability performance, and improve reliability.
If you’re ready to supercharge your position in the clean energy transition and benefit from an energy storage or solar-plus-storage system, please contact us today to learn more.
