“Utility-scale solar,” “large-scale solar,” and “solar farms” are different terms that describe a solar power facility that generates enough electricity to serve many customers, as opposed to a single home or business.

Solar electric panels create electricity directly from sunlight. When sunlight hits the panels, semiconductors inside the panels are activated to produce usable electricity. In these farms, many solar panels are grouped together to produce more power. In most cases, panels are mounted on “single-axis tracking systems.” Solar panels are attached to horizontal poles that run north to south. The panels rotate from east to west to follow the sun. So, they get the maximum solar energy throughout the day.

The most important driver behind the growth of solar is the declining cost of solar power technology and installation. The cost of new large-scale solar generation has dropped to the point where it is cost-competitive today with traditional coal and natural gas power plants.

A good rule of thumb is five to seven acres of land are used for every megawatt of solar power capacity. A solar developer will seek to contract for additional land to provide more flexibility in laying out the arrays, routing interconnection corridors, and to meet state requirements for alternative seating options.

No. Modern large-scale solar installations use steel posts that are fixed into the ground without concrete pilings. The land can very easily be converted back to farmland after the life of the solar project. The average life of the project is 25-40 years. When the time of the project is up, the landowner is able to resume common agriculture activities.

Testing of the solar panels proved that the panels can withstand winds of up to 140 miles-per-hour, the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane. In real-world performance, there are reports that nearly all solar panels located in areas hit by Superstorm Sandy (2012), Hurricane Michael (2016), and Irma (2017), survived the high winds.

No. The collection and transmission lines used in this modern solar farm effectively prevent stray voltage. These lines are significantly different than what might be seen in local distribution systems or low-voltage wiring in sheds, barns, and dairy facilities.

No, this is actually a common myth about solar PV modules. Solar modules are made to absorb sunlight, not to reflect it. Solar modules are flat and covered with smooth anti-reflective coatings. Modern PV modules reflect as little as two percent of incoming sunlight, about the same as water and less than soil or even wood shingles.

In larger solar farms, the panels rotate throughout the day. When they are tilted, snow will slide off on its own. If some part of the panels is covered in snow, the remaining portion can still generate power and, in doing so, will generate some heat that will encourage the melting of the rest of the snow.

At night the solar panels go into standby mode and do not produce any energy. However, even on cloudy days the panels are producing power.

As an example, a 300 MW project might create 500 new local jobs while in construction, and 5 operations and maintenance jobs once it is operational.

Solar PV projects by themselves do not damage wildlife. When native meadow ground cover is used, the project will create new habitat for pollinating insects and birds, as well as improve water quality for local aquatic species. Projects are provide fencing, which keeps wildlife out and reduces risk to animals in the area.