Winter cover crop and a wide variety of seed plantings are quietly transforming and complementing the solar garden space at historic Crawford House on Maryville College campus. Students recently helped Assistant Professor of Environmental Science Dr. Julie Konkel sow white clover around the new, ground-mounted array installed by Solar Alliance. The plantings are designed to complement the older, pole-mounted array and blend in with the rest of the outdoor garden setting.
The Environmental Science group designed the area with chicory around the edge of the plot and a blend of sixteen different plants. Warmer weather next spring will allow for the planting of new varieties. The area is the site of the Crawford House Solar + Storage project, which involves a 4.8-kilowatt array with an 18-kilowatt-hour battery to offset the facility’s energy needs. The facility houses outdoor programs, Mountain Challenge, and Fit.Green.Happy® to serve students and the community.
As Dr. Konkel explained previously, “Establishing a native pollinator garden and limiting mowing will both enhance soil quality and provide a pocket habitat for beneficial insects and other small wildlife.”
Program founder Bruce Guillaume coordinates tangible examples of environmentalism like the clean energy project and sustainable gardening practices, along with outdoor experiences for students, staff, and visitors.
Guillaume said, “Dr. Konkel’s work on this site certainly challenges the assumption that ground solar arrays necessarily dictate land use – e.g the land can’t be useful for anything. Once this site comes to “fruition’, you’ll see pollinators, some edibles, and ground cover; all designed to improve soil health.”
Anne Brock is Marketing Coordinator for Solar Alliance, which designs solar projects for manufacturers, offices, and nonprofits. She’s at abrock@solaralliance.com or 865-221-8349.
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