Clean energy company Dominion Energy has announced plans to add beehives to its Black Bear Solar farm in Dillwyn, Virginia, The Farmville Herald reported.
Though solar panels and bees might not at first glance seem like the most natural partners, it's actually another example of the growing field of agrivoltaics, which seeks to pair solar farms with actual farms, using the shade provided by the panels to enhance the growing of certain crops, provide space for sheep to graze, or, in this case, shelter beehives.
While solar energy is a great clean, renewable alternative to traditional polluting energy sources such as gas and oil, one knock against it has been that it takes up a lot of space. Pairing the technology with usable farm projects is a way to address that concern, and, employed smartly, it can actually work to the benefit of both.
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Definitely 💯 In the case of Black Bear, the solar panels will, in theory, give the beehives cover, while the bees will pollinate surrounding crops, which in turn will help to create a cooler microclimate, helping to increase solar panel efficiency. If all goes according to plan, Dominion will generate more clean energy for the people of Virginia, and surrounding farmers will get healthier crops than if either type of farm had been attempted alone.
"We're very excited to welcome bees to Black Bear," Dominion spokesperson Tim Eberly told the Herald. "The beehive project is an ideal pairing for a solar farm. Both are environmentally friendly, so we're generating clean pollution-free energy at Black Bear while helping increase the pollinator population to the benefit of nearby farmers."
Other recent examples of agrivoltaics have included a study that integrated solar panels with olive trees in Spain, pilot programs involving sheep grazing under solar panels, and an experiment in France in which farmers grew grapes for winemaking using solar panel shade.
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