THE VIRTUOUS LOOP:

Amid black-eyed Susans and purple wildflowers growing between rows of solar panels at Connexus Energy's headquarters in Ramsey, Minnesota, Rob Davis has seen hover flies, swallows and a hummingbird moth.

"It's just like being in a nice, natural place," says Davis, Connexus communications lead. "But it's also just a visual delight, because there's so many things to see when you sit and wait."

When the array was installed almost a decade ago, the initial plan was to keep gravel around the panels. Instead, the electricity co-op planted a mixture of flowering plants -- becoming what Davis says was the first pollinator-friendly solar project in the US. 

Now, many others are following suit. 

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