Frederick Road - Clean Energy, Cultivated Locally.

Andrea’s Farm is a 54-acre diversified agricultural operation specializing in raising cattle and cultivating hay, soy, and corn. The agrivoltaic solar array proposed by Lightstar will feature 2.562 MWdc / 2 MWac, Single-Axis-Tracker panels on 18 acres, with rows of panels spaced to fit farm equipment. This project integrates hay and cattle grazing under the array, while allowing the tenant farmer to continue soy and corn harvesting elsewhere on the property. A proud partner of American Farmland Trust, Lightstar has a proven track record of developing solar agricultural projects, prioritizing land stewardship, sustainable practices, and long-term partnerships with farming and community partners. 

Maryland is rapidly losing family farms to permanent commercial and industrial development. This project will support a legacy family farm for decades with stable income and sustained agricultural production on the property.  As an agrivoltaics project, Lightstar is compelled by statute to remain in agricultural operation per the COMAR Title 18 Agricultural Use Assessment. Failure to do so carries severe financial penalties. Lightstar, the landowner, and the farmer are all aligned and incentivized to keep the land in production with exceptions for extreme weather, crop failure, or drought – just as every Maryland farm is required.  

Howard County’s agricultural business and farming is the fifth largest economic driver in the state, contributing more than $200 million annually. Agrivoltaics provides additional revenue streams to family farmers – in addition to revenue of the crops, the farmers are paid to maintain the vegetation (crops or forage) within the project area. Many family farms Lightstar works with, uses this financial stability to reinvest in their farming operations, often expanding it.  

In addition, the project will generate clean energy for approximately 300 local homes combined with sizeable grid investments to improve resiliency. The project will also generate significant county tax revenue, aiding public services and community programs. Furthermore, Lightstar will hire Maryland-based firms for engineering and construction, creating local jobs, and supporting the economy.  

Lightstar and consultants have prepared an erosion and sediment control plan and will comply with MDE/Howard County’s stormwater management and construction requirements. Implementation of construction-phase best management practices (BMPs) such as silt fencing, stabilized entrances, and inspection/maintenance procedures will be in place to ensure compliance. Through an aquatic delineation study, it was determined the project has no effect on any surrounding streams, wetlands, stream buffers, or regulated floodplain areas. Lastly, a threatened and endangered species habitat study, cultural resource investigation, and forest conservation review have all been completed and determined the solar project has no adverse effects. 

Lightstar has worked over the last five years with Solar Agricultural Services (SolAg) to support our farmers through the transition to agrivoltaics farming, but perhaps the most important scope of work that SolAg provides is oversight of soil protection measures before, during, and after construction. SolAg has overseen 160MW of solar construction on prime farmland for the purposes of agrivoltaics. With the guidance of SolAg, this project will follow best practices for installing solar on agricultural land and will include training of construction workers on these best practices prior to the commencement of installation. Those practices include pre-seeding the land, establishing a soil-building cover crop prior to construction to prevent erosion and compaction, and separating topsoil from subsoil when excavating for buried conduit, so that the topsoil can be put back on the top +/-1ft of the excavated trench. Additionally, LSR will be limiting construction vehicle and equipment travel via dedicated access roads and work zones to prevent unnecessary soil compaction across the site. Additionally, dedicated staging area for construction trailers and material preparation will be established in a suitable area away from the day-to-day operations of the farm. If necessary, at the end of construction this staging area can be disced for the purpose of decompaction. In the area of the array, in keeping with good agricultural management practices, soil decompaction will be performed if necessary following racking and panel installation.     

Because this is an agrivoltaics project, Lightstar will be preserving the soil onsite through development, construction, and operations. Lightstar is working directly with the Maryland Department of Environment Storm Water Division to avoid unnecessary grading of soil and disturbance to the prime soils on site. At the same time, the project will likely be improving runoff conditions on the property  since solar is held to a different standard than agriculture in terms of stormwater. Contractors will follow soil and water best practices when installing the array including minimal to zero site grading, ensuring that topsoil stays in place or is added where needed, minimizing soil compaction, and inspecting equipment regularly to ensure tight seals and to prevent fluid leakage. Once in operation, the farm will follow agricultural best management practices outlined by and in consultation with the United Stated Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). Whenever possible, regenerative soil health practices such as vegetative buffer strips will be planted to decrease potential for sheet flow which can cause erosion.   

Lightstar will design the 7-foot fence and planted landscape buffer, so they don’t “pinch off” or dam the site’s existing natural drainage paths based off mapped flow routes (swales/low points/ditches/culverts). If the fence must cross a drainage feature, it would be detailed to maintain flow (minimizing grading/trenching in the flow path). Drainage infrastructure is proposed along the access road and near the site entrance in the form of a bio-retention pond. 

Lightstar will be working with a local tenant farmer that is obligated to keep the project in active agricultural production per state regulations, ensuring that this farmland stays preserved. Lightstar is compelled by the COMAR Title 18 Agricultural Use Assessment process to maintain the land in state-approved agricultural operation on an annual basis. Lightstar takes compliance with this activity very seriously, as non-compliance includes a significant penalty. The site plan approval will include the agricultural operation as part of the vegetable management plan.  

The site will be accessed off State Route 144, for which we will attain a MDSHA driveway/entrance permit. For the on-site access road, we are attaining the necessary Howard County grading/stormwater (and E&S) approvals consistent with our approved stormwater management and erosion/sediment control plans. 

Lightstar welcomes community feedback. Please complete the contact form on this website with your name, email address, and comments.  

At the end of the project life, decommissioning will involve removing all the solar equipment and materials from the site, including any underground infrastructure. The work will follow similar protocols as construction, including establishing a ground cover to prevent erosion and compaction and following demarcated access and work zones to limit compaction across the site. Workers will be trained in the best practices for agrivoltaics sites and will pay special attention to clearing the site of debris and tools. Post holes and trenches will be filled to prevent injury and restore full agricultural access.  

Yes, environmental assessments have been completed by a local expert, reflecting our commitment to supporting the local economy.