Darlington County farm wins federal aid for solar panel project
DARLINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A Darlington County farm will spend more than $150,000 in U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to build a roof-mounted solar array.
Howle Farms and Livestock LLC in Hartsville was awarded $154,590 through the agency’s Rural Energy for America Program as a 50% match for the project.
The 43.55-kilowatt system is expected to yield $7,925 in annual energy savings and generate enough electricity to power six homes.
In all, a half dozen South Carolina projects won more than $634,000 in USDA funding for clean energy initiatives.
“As we celebrate Earth Day this year, we are excited to partner with hundreds more family farms and small businesses to address the impacts of climate change, grow the economy and keep rural communities throughout the country strong and resilient,” Xochitl Torres Small, the USDA’s deputy secretary, said in a news release.
Howle Farms is partnering with Ovanova, a Cedar Grove, N.C.-based solar installer.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
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