Valley completes first ag solar installation

Valley Irrigation, Valley, Nebraska, has partnered with Farmers National Company, a land and mineral management firm, to complete the company’s first ag solar installation within North America. The installation, which is located in South-Central Nebraska on a farm managed by Farmers National Company, will provide sustainable power to the landowner by efficiently converting the sun’s rays to clean energy.

The Ag Solar group within Valley has an international footprint with more than 700 solar installations worldwide.

“We’re proud to be able to provide growers in North America with engineered solar solutions, particularly by collaborating with our valued and long-term partner Farmers National Company, a company that shares our same sustainability and environmental goals,” says Darin Sothers, director of key accounts at Valley Irrigation.

“We are proud to partner with Valley Irrigation and the landowner to have the first Valley solar-powered pivot in North America and specifically on one of the farms we manage for a landowner,” says Matt Gunderson, senior vice president of strategy, sales & marketing for Farmers National Company The opportunity to invest into the farm while the landowner receives additional income from the excess power sold back to the power district makes it a win-win.”

The installation will provide solar power to a Valley center pivot by offsetting energy consumption used to irrigate the field. The components/inverters will provide greater than 94% efficiency in converting direct current energy into alternating current energy. The pivot size and configuration will produce green renewable energy for the next 25 to 35 years, equaling the lifespan of the pivot. It will also produce recurring revenue for the landowner through a buy/sell agreement with the local utility group.

Read more about Valley Irrigation.