Inovateus Solar has commenced construction of Logansport, Indiana’s, first-ever solar power plant. Inovateus is developing the installation for Logansport Municipal Utility (LMU). Financed by a power purchase agreement (PPA), the solar installation will reduce LMU’s carbon emissions, help to stabilize energy costs for LMU’s customers, and also host a bee and butterfly habitat that will benefit agriculture in the surrounding area.
The 80-acre 16-MWAC solar installation will power the equivalent of about 3,700 homes. With the support and vision of the City of Logansport, LMU and city staff, LMU’s first solar project marks a new milestone for the municipal utility. For over 120 years, the city has relied on an LMU coal-fired power plant that was recently retired. The 30-year PPA, financed by Alchemy Renewable Energy, allows LMU to purchase the clean solar generation at a fixed kilowatt-hour rate with no upfront capital costs. The contract also includes options for LMU to buy the solar energy system at a future date.
“As CEO of Inovateus, I am particularly proud of the opportunity that the leadership of the Logansport Community afforded our company. As an Indiana-based solar provider, Inovateus is committed to provide cost effective, clean solar energy to Indiana so we can do our part to enhance economic development in Indiana communities, support the educational efforts in the communities that we engage and make Indiana an even greater place for families to live and thrive. It gives us special pride to work in partnership with environmental groups such as the Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund, particularly in celebration of National Pollinator Month. Their efforts and commitment mirror our vision for Indiana. Thank you, Logansport,” said T.J. Kanczuzewski, co-founder and CEO of Inovateus Solar.
Inovateus is further helping the community by designing a solar education program to engage schools in the Logansport Community School Corporation and launching a college scholarship contest for naming the solar project. To help maintain the neighborhood nearby, Inovateus designed a 45-foot vegetation buffer around the solar array. The buffer will feature native Northern Indiana trees, plants and more than 100 tulip trees donated by the community.
“We are proud to work with Inovateus Solar to bring the first ever solar energy project to Logansport,” said Logansport Mayor Chris Martin. “How exciting to be a part of pioneering this clean, alternative energy source right here in our community that will help curb LMU energy costs for our consumers. The creation of a bee and butterfly habitat will also be a great environmentally friendly addition to the city’s west side!”
“Inovateus is excited to be working with Alchemy to develop LMU’s first solar energy installation for the citizens and businesses of Logansport,” said Jordan Richardson, Inovateus Solar’s business development manager. “We want to thank the City of Logansport, LMU, the Logansport Utility Service Board, Alchemy, Cass County, and all the residents who helped us to design a solar system that will create local jobs and enhance the city’s natural habitats.”
After construction is completed Q1 of 2021, Inovateus has partnered with Fresh Energy and the Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund to plant a pollinator seed mix under and around the solar panels instead of traditional ground cover. Planting a pollinator mix will cultivate honey bees and butterflies that local farmers rely on for pollinating their crops. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s InSPIRE study is actively studying pollinator-friendly and low-impact solar development approaches to quantify the ecosystem and agricultural benefits.
“Indiana is home to vibrant agricultural sectors — tomatoes in the north and melons in the south — that depend on the health and abundance of beneficial insects and pollinators,” said Rob Davis, director of the Center for Pollinators in Energy at Fresh Energy. “Logansport’s new solar project by Inovateus shows that communities can choose PV solar designs that concurrently benefit agriculture and ecosystems.”
“We call that a winning collaboration,” said Pete Berthelsen, partnership director of The Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund who also partnered with Inovateus to provide the seeding mix.
To commemorate the pollinator-friendly ground cover that will eventually be planted under the solar array, The City of Logansport is intending to recognize a day in June as Bird & Pollinator- Friendly Solar Day.
