McKinstry Celebrates Opening of New Agrivoltaics Site in Denver With Governor Polis and Mayor Mike Johnston

Denver, Colo — On Thursday, September 27, Mayor Mike Johnston and Governor Jared Polis celebrated the completion of Denver’s latest community solar project at Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms. This community solar project is one of 12 solar garden sites now operating that were funded by Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency (CASR) across the city. The funding for Denver’s community solar program comes from Denver’s voter-approved Climate Protection Fund and a grant from the State of Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs.

The clean energy generated at Chatfield Farms will fully power the site. The solar panels will also generate enough additional power to provide energy bill credits to 150 Denver Public Schools (DPS) families in need of energy assistance. The energy bill credit program is administered directly by Energy Outreach Colorado to DPS families.

“When we dare to embrace transformative change and invest in our future, we can have a lasting, positive impact in the lives of Denverites for generations to come. By investing in solar energy and local fresh produce for Denver families, we are creating a cleaner, more sustainable future for our community.”

Mayor Mike Johnston

The solar garden combines agriculture and solar photovoltaic panels into a cutting edge “agrivoltaics” system. In this system, crops and pollinator habitat are planted underneath the solar panels. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will act as a key partner in the project, collecting data about how agrivoltaics affect solar panel efficiency and crop yield.

The new solar garden will be one of the largest agrivoltaics projects in the nation. Once fields are prepared for cultivation, farmers estimate that more than 30,000 pounds of fresh produce will be produced annually from the agrivoltaics project and shared with community members in need via local partner organizations and no cost food grocery programs.

“Colorado is a national leader in clean energy and conservation solutions. Harnessing the power of agrivoltaics, Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms will continue to provide a habitat for hundreds of plant species and butterflies, while creating clean, low-cost energy for hardworking families and businesses. The Botanic Gardens is an example of how innovative solutions are lowering costs, creating a more sustainable future, and enhancing our Colorado way of life.”

Governor Jared Polis