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In April, Neighborhood Sun Benefit Corp, a Maryland-based Certified B Corp, announced the construction of Free Rein Solar Farm in Montgomery County, Maryland, the same county where the company was founded. Months later, Free Rein Solar Farm is nearly sold out, but there is some availability remaining for households who qualify as Low- or Moderate-Income (LMI). The community solar farm will generate enough renewable energy and savings to benefit hundreds of local households while also preventing 1,421 Metric Tons of CO2-equivalent each year. Free Rein Solar Farm will be connected to the grid next month, and subscribers can expect to see community solar credits reducing the cost of their utility bills starting this Fall.
A portion of the farm’s energy is designated for income-qualified residents in order to ensure equitable access to renewable energy, allowing income-qualified residents to benefit from a higher discount than folks who are not LMI. The 1.5 MW solar array sits on a small portion of Free Rein Farm—an 84-acre farm used for horse boarding, grazing, and riding– leaving plenty of space for the horses to continue enjoying the open air. Lease payments for the land where the solar array is located will help the horse farm meet its financial needs while also generating 100% of the farm’s electricity. The land beneath the solar arrays is covered in pollinator-friendly plants, ensuring it meets Montgomery County’s agrivoltaics standard for solar development.
“Free Rein Solar Farm is proud to be creating this solar generating facility that will deliver clean renewable electricity to the Maryland region and also help the farm economically, while preserving the surrounding environment and character of the land,” said Mike Chapman, President of Free Rein Solar Farm.
The community solar farm has incorporated many measures to minimize any negative environmental impacts. Representatives of Free Rein Solar Farm met with neighbors and the local community to understand concerns and offer information, resulting in the addition of voluntary vegetative screenings and buffers. Other measures are being taken to mitigate environmental impacts, such as limiting impervious surfaces, including bioretention basins to capture and filter stormwater and planting hundreds of trees and shrubs to protect a nearby stream and wetland area. At the conclusion of the 25-year project period during which subscribers are guaranteed savings, the solar panels will be recycled and the land will be returned to its natural state.
Neighborhood Sun and Free Rein Solar Farm are inviting the community to join them in celebrating this milestone achievement. Together, we can create a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come.
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