From Our President: Zoë Gamble dispels misconceptions about solar farms and their impact on the surrounding community and environment

Solar projects play a vital role in energy generation, meeting increasing energy demand, as well as achieving climate goals. However, within the communities where new solar projects are slated to be constructed, the news is often met with resistance due to a lack of information and misunderstanding about how exactly these work and their impact on the environment.   

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), global energy consumption is likely to increase through 2050 and is expected to outpace innovations in energy efficiency technology. This is due in large part to global population growth, a rise in regional manufacturing and higher standards of living. 

Key drivers of this within the U.S. specifically are the residential and transportation sectors, as demand for air conditioning skyrockets with warmer temperatures and adoption rates of electric vehicles continue to grow. In fact, the EIA estimates that residential consumption of purchased electricity in the U.S. will increase by about 14% to 22% from 2022 to 2050.

With this added pressure on the global power supply, solar projects are of increasing importance to support energy generation on strained grids, while also having the benefit of not contributing to climate change.

With the need to construct more solar projects, and the sizable space required, farmland in rural areas is a prime location. However, with a general lack of information about the benefits of solar projects and myths and misunderstandings circulating within the community, the idea of seeing farmland and other previously undeveloped land transform into a generator of electricity is often met with resistance. Because of this, it’s of the utmost importance for the clean energy industry to take time to meet with the community, answer questions and provide reassurance about the impact of the solar project on them and the environment.

The following are five facts addressing some of the most common misconceptions about solar projects, along with the positive impacts solar projects can actually have within their communities.

Fact #1: Solar projects generate guaranteed income for family farms

Solar projects can financially help farmers, including those whose families have lived there for generations, remain on their land. This is possible by turning some of their underutilized land into a solar project, providing family farms with a lifeline and a new way to generate guaranteed income.

This is critical in the current economic environment and with the headwinds that farmers face. According to the USDA’s first 2024 cost-of-production forecast for major field crops, such as corn, soybeans and wheat, among others, upfront costs are slated to remain high going into the next growing season. This is at the third-highest level of all time, and just under the record-high reached in 2022. 

In other words, it’s becoming more expensive to farm crops, and the additional income from transitioning even a portion of their land into a solar project can help provide a financial cushion to farmers as they work to secure their family legacy.

Fact #2: Solar projects can promote biodiversity

Fact: With any new construction project, there are potential risks of impacting the surrounding wildlife and environment. However, there are measures that can be taken to minimize impacts.

Whether building on existing farm land or land that needs to be cleared, solar projects, like those managed by CleanChoice, can promote biodiversity by planting native and pollinator-friendly plants in and around the project. Pollinator-friendly plants, in particular, can help reduce erosion, increase groundwater stores and bolster crop yields planted at and around solar projects, according to a study from the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale University.

Plus, an added benefit of building solar projects on existing farmland is that the land is already cleared, so there is no additional loss of habitat. 

Fact #3: Three quarters of Americans are comfortable living near a solar project

Homeowners near the project may worry about the project significantly decreasing their property value, but the truth is the impact is minimal.

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s 2023 study showed that any impact disappeared just one mile from installations. The key here is close proximity. Homes closer than a quarter mile saw a slight decrease averaging 2.3%, which some homeowners might consider fairly significant, but the impact is reduced to a 0.8% decrease for homes a half mile to one mile away. Beyond that, the impact is negligible. 

Some areas, including urban areas, mixed residential/commercial sites and former industrial sites, showed no statistically significant effects on real estate values when building a solar farm nearby. 

The stigma or hesitancy of living near a solar project is also waning, as three-quarters of all Americans say they would be comfortable living near a solar project. Homeowners can feel secure that their homes will retain their value, and for those living near solar projects looking to sell their home, prospective buyers are not likely to see the project as a major detracting factor.

Fact #4: Solar projects bring jobs and money to local communities

While community members may worry about the impact on jobs and the economy in the surrounding area, solar projects can be a positive addition to the community.

Solar projects help create jobs during the construction process, and employ locally for ongoing management and maintenance. 

Depending on which state a solar project is located in, the land code or zone may have to be changed to allow for utilities if an agricultural farm is hosting a solar project. This change in code or zone usually comes with a higher tax rate, meaning the surrounding town, county and/or state may be able to collect increased taxes on the land that would be filtered back into the community. It should be noted that the solar project would not mean added expenses for the community - as compared to housing developments, which require added costs for roads, sewers, schools, etc.

As solar projects are increasingly built on existing farmland, there is a rise in community concerns about the loss of crops and access to locally grown produce. However, the decision to lease the land is typically not in perpetuity, so there always remains the option to convert the land back when the lease is up if desired by both parties. 

Additionally, solar projects have great potential to be responsible members of the community. For example, with the upcoming construction of its first fully owned solar project in Franklin County, PA, CleanChoice plans to support the surrounding community in a number of ways, such as sponsoring local recreational sports teams, supporting local STEM programs and developing scholarship programs for area students.

Fact #5: Solar energy generation does not come to a screeching halt on cloudy days

Even on gray days, solar panel cells continue to absorb hues reflected from the sky, generating energy.

Even more so, clouds can at times increase the amount of light reaching panels on solar projects, according to The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service. This is possible through cloud lensing when frozen water molecules inside of high-altitude clouds refract the sun’s light. This causes brighter-than-normal conditions on the ground compared to the darker blue skies of a clear day. Also, side illumination from broken cloud fields can also augment solar power.

Increasingly solar projects are adding storage facilities on site that allows the energy generated during the day to be used at all hours.

Many concerns about solar projects are misguided due to the spread of misinformation. There is great opportunity for renewable energy companies that are planning to develop new solar projects to take the time to engage, educate and invest in the local community. When built and managed with the surrounding community and environment in mind, solar projects, like those CleanChoice operates, can thrive along with their neighbors.