A friend of mine wants to know the environmental impact of a solar farm.

[Supervstech]

Ok, he has 500acres and was approached by a energy company to have a solar farm setup.

He asked them what the farm would do long term to his land. They didn’t really respond, so he is asking me.

I am having a hard time understanding what impact at all would or could be for his yard…

Sure, there would be a fallow field, zero crops could grow… weeds, and or pests could nest due to the shading and maintenance of the farm…

But can anyone come up with any long term damage a large array could do to a field? Even if the array failed and burned up, what damage could it do to the field?

 

[Koldsimer]

I've wondered about this myself. The only thing I could come up with was the potential debris in the area after a catastrophic storm. Large hail or a tornado could leave behind a lot of broken glass and other things you wouldn't want on your property. I imagine it would be near impossible to get it ALL cleaned up.

 

[Mike 134]

Just following post

But I'm curious how do the number crunch for him, dollars he makes now per acre/yr with all the risks VS. what he gets for leasing the land?

 

[Prefersdirt]

I run livestock. My approach to this would be to require the panels be high enough I could graze the ground. Then you can still be able to gain from everything. I would also want in the contract complete removal when the contract is complete.

what you don't want is them not allowing you access with animals and them spraying to control plant growth. Look at what Germany has done - lots of solar over farm ground and being grazed at the same time.

Keep us updated.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Another question is what kind? Thermal solar or traditional panels? The thermal solar that uses mirrors to focus sunlight to heat water fry birds that fly through the focused beams of sunlight (think ants under a magnifying glass).

 

[timselectric]

Other than blowing debris being trapped. And damaged panel debris. I don't know if there is a downside.

 

[Quattrohead]

I run livestock. My approach to this would be to require the panels be high enough I could graze the ground. Then you can still be able to gain from everything. I would also want in the contract complete removal when the contract is complete.

what you don't want is them not allowing you access with animals and them spraying to control plant growth. Look at what Germany has done - lots of solar over farm ground and being grazed at the same time.

Keep us updated.

They are not going to allow you to keep animals on the same patch of land. I don't see a downside if the numbers work.
Google solar field to see the way they are done.

 

[Shimmy]

No expert, but I believe it depends on the type of soil and how much rain you get.

Personally, I am a big fan of the raised systems where lower light crops can be farmed below.

 

[x98myers7]

long and short answer... no one knows. there are a ton of factors to account for and it'll vary significantly by location.

 

[Mattb4]

Just have to be careful that the panels don't overgraze the available sunshine. That will leave the pasture in a bad state of darkness until soil nutrients can be regained. Also some jurisdictions will require proper fencing so your farm panels don't become Free range.

Neighbors might raise a stink if runoff issues happen.

 

[Supervstech]

They are not going to allow you to keep animals on the same patch of land. I don't see a downside if the numbers work.
Google solar field to see the way they are done.

I agree.
The hazards surrounding solar fields and grazing animals would be a nightmare.
Codes require distances from disconnects, junctions, etc...

 

[Shimmy]

I agree.
The hazards surrounding solar fields and grazing animals would be a nightmare.
Codes require distances from disconnects, junctions, etc...

If you have 2m clear below the panels there is plenty of room for access to disconnects without precluding a useful space below. You can fence off electrical cages periodically and the wiring itself can be protected.

Most solar farms seem to put down a weed map (or pesticide) to limit growth below, which is a bit of a mess.

 

[Bluedog225]

All else aside, I’d want an insurance policy (not just a contract term) that would cover any environmental remediation necessary to restore the land to it’s pre-use condition. Generally important and of particular importance if they burned. This may need to include a bond. Assume the energy company will no longer be in business.

 

[A.Justice]

Drainage might be something to consider as well. A guy cleared a tree / grassy area down the road, and now, when it rains any real amount, the dirt sends a torrent of water down the hill towards his neighbors.

If the panels are choking out plant growth, or the company is killing it, the area may not be able to absorb water as well.

 

[cs1234]

These valid concerns are one of the reasons I really prefer smaller solar installations on each building as appropriate. We already have roofs, walls, and small fenced in areas where we can put solar panels with minimal disruption. Think of all the currently paved parking lots and sidewalks and such that could do with some shade.. put solar panels there.

Stick large solar installations out in places we can't use for farming / timber or what not, like deserts and barren rocky land. Utilize land based on what works best for that land with minimal disruption to it's natural ecosystem and best uses. Don't just do what is convenient, least expensive or provides the most short term gain.

 

[svetz]

AFAIK, there's zero worries with silicon panels, the most harmful thing is probably the lead in the solder connecting the diodes and that's not likely to leach out. The "broken glass" argument isn't that great, they use "safety" glass so you shouldn't get shards all over the place.

Might want to stay away from perovskite solar panels.

I agree. The hazards surrounding solar fields and grazing animals would be a nightmare. Codes require distances from disconnects, junctions, etc... It's not that "no one knows", there are a number of studies about putting panels above plants and livestock as a way of getting some synergy out of the land. As I recall, the conclusion was that it was a great idea if you built the right ecosystem.

Codes might require you to bury cables or have an electric fence to protect it from cattle, but I doubt it's anything onerous. Mainly because there's not a whole lot of it, and codes are modified after disasters happen.

Elevated is also a good candidate for bifacial panels.

...wants to know the environmental impact of a solar farm...

Another way to look at it might be, what's the impact if they can do it and don't?

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Ok, he has 500acres and was approached by a energy company to have a solar farm setup.

He asked them what the farm would do long term to his land. They didn’t really respond, so he is asking me.

I think this is a signal that it may be a bad idea. They're not thinking about long term implications.

 

[Shimmy]

These valid concerns are one of the reasons I really prefer smaller solar installations on each building as appropriate. We already have roofs, walls, and small fenced in areas where we can put solar panels with minimal disruption. Think of all the currently paved parking lots and sidewalks and such that could do with some shade.. put solar panels there.

Unfortunately you need both once you start talking about industrial and urban areas.

Stick large solar installations out in places we can't use for farming / timber or what not, like deserts and barren rocky land. Utilize land based on what works best for that land with minimal disruption to it's natural ecosystem and best uses. Don't just do what is convenient, least expensive or provides the most short term gain.

Pretty much everything is a sensitive ecosystem to something, and building on it is a challenge. Best to use solar to add value to something rather than substitute value.

 

[Prefersdirt]

They are not going to allow you to keep animals on the same patch of land. I don't see a downside if the numbers work.
Google solar field to see the way they are done.

They will if you require it in the contract. Make the company build the facility so it can be grazed.

 

[cs1234]

Another way to look at it might be, what's the impact if they can do it and don't?

I was going to say something like this, what's the impact on all of us if we don't do things like this.. but thought it would be a bit too tree huggy for this place.