Planning Board approves solar farm over cranberry bogs

Apr 27, 2021

On April 26, the Planning Board approved plans for a solar farm to be built over an active cranberry bog owned by Brett Meredith. 

Meredith’s farm straddles the Wareham-Carver border. He is hoping to install solar fields over 28 acres of his bogs in Wareham and additional solar over his bogs in Carver. The Carver Planning Board has already approved the plans. 

The plan is based on a state program that incentivizes farmers to harvest solar energy in addition to their crops and which requires the land to continue to be actively farmed.

Because Meredith will continue to grow and harvest cranberries, the array is slightly unusual in its design and layout. Solar panels are further apart and significantly higher than is typical, and they are on special bases that allow them to tilt to follow the sun over the course of the day.

Planning Board Chair George Barrett asked Meredith to keep the board apprised of the project’s success.