WHAT IS A SOLAR FACILITY OR SOLAR FARM? 

A solar facility (or sometimes referred to as a solar farm) is an area that uses a large number of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to turn sunlight into electricity. Electricity flows through inverters and transformers before connecting to the local power lines. These facilities range in size from a few acres to 2,500+ acres.  Fun fact: In Michigan, we can power about 150 - 200 homes with a 5-acre solar farm.

I THOUGHT SOLAR PANELS WERE INEFFICIENT AND EXPENSIVE. 

The cost of electricity from solar farms has dropped 89% in the past decade alone in the United States, making it a very cost-effective source of electricity. Utility-scale renewables and natural gas are now the cheapest forms of new energy generation across the United States.

These large-scale solar projects are also competitively bid to the public utilities In Michigan meaning only the most cost-effective projects will be built for the ratepayer. The reliability of these projects allows us to guarantee our lease payments, property taxes, and economic impacts within the community for a minimum of 20 years and even up to 35 years.

DO SOLAR PROJECTS CREATE NOISE POLLUTION? 

No. While the solar panels themselves create no noise, there is some noise from the support racks that track the sun each day. During the day, every now and then racks will move a few inches at a time, which takes a few seconds for each adjustment. Also, the electrical inverters and transformers, which are strategically located in the middle of the site, do create a slight hum (note that inverters hum only during daylight hours). However, neither the hum nor the racks’ adjustment will be heard beyond the property line. 

DO SOLAR PROJECTS RECEIVE AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS?  

No. The Michigan Department of Revenue levies an Industrial Personal Property Tax on the capital investment of solar projects like the Carroll Road Solar Farm. Based on today's tax policy, the project would generate approximately $35.1 million in cumulative county, township and school district tax revenue over the facility's anticipated 35-year operational life, as compared to approximately $2.8 million in the property's current agricultural use.

ARE YOU GOING TO COVER THE LAND IN CONCRETE? HOW ARE THESE PROJECTS BUILT? 

No. Modern solar farms are commonly constructed by driving steel posts into the ground, and this is the construction we expect for this project. Afterwards, steel beams and purlins are connected to the posts and then the panels are fastened to the beams. With this technique over 95% of the land remains permeable--most of the access roads on site will be unpaved, and concrete pads are usually installed only under transformers and small electrical equipment.

CAN THE LAND RETURN BACK TO FARMLAND AT THE END OF THE LEASE? 

Absolutely! In addition, by incorporating holistic land management practices such as planting native grasses, utilizing grazing livestock for vegetative management, and minimizing the amount of machinery on-site for maintenance, there is significant opportunity to improve soil organic matter (SOM) and regenerate the land.

WHO REMOVES THE SOLAR PROJECT AT THE END OF THE LEASE?

According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), a bond or irrevocable letter of credit must be obtained and maintained in an amount sufficient to decommission the solar array and return the property to agricultural purposes. The financial surety must be in place prior to construction. The amount of the financial surety must be calculated by a licensed engineer and approved by MDARD. This protects the community to ensure no one else is footing the bill to remove the equipment at the end of the operational period. This a standard practice in the solar industry.

It is important to note that over 85% of the weight of a project can be recovered since those primary materials have glass, aluminum, and copper, which all have salvage values, and recycling facilities already exist in the United States for solar panel recycling specifically.11 The industry expects solar panel recycling to provide a significant financial opportunity in the future given the value of the materials used on solar projects.

WILL YOU HAVE AN INSURANCE POLICY ON THE SOLAR PROJECT? 

Yes. We will always obtain and keep in effect comprehensive general liability insurance and any other necessary coverages throughout the operational life of the project. 

IS THE SOLAR FARM HAZARDOUS TO MY HEALTH? 

No. The greatest environmental risk with solar panels is associated with their manufacturing at the factory, with techniques similar to those used in material processing required to make the computers, mobile phones, tablets, and other electronics we use in our daily lives.

The most common solar panel is based on polycrystalline silicon technology. When manufactured, the polycrystalline silicon solar cells are sealed under a top sheet of glass; any trace materials within the panel are unlikely to ever leach out of the panel due to the sealant and tempered glass. Through industry partnerships like PV Cycle or programs like Cradle-to-Cradle Certification, manufacturers are looking at the full life-cycle of solar panels and diverting the bulk of waste material from landfills to responsible material recyclers.

As for other equipment on site, traditionally electrical transformers use mineral oil, but environmental regulations have led to the use of environmentally-friendly fluids which readily biodegrade should the transformer ever leak. Inverters and other electronics are treated similar to traditional e-waste to minimize the environmental impact at end of life.

HOW WILL THIS IMPACT NEARBY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY VALUES?

With proper setbacks and vegetative buffering, there is substantial research indicating that there is no negative impact on adjacent property values, including a recent report on the solar facility in Lapeer, Michigan. The reason is largely because solar farms do not create any substantial negative traffic, sound, odor, or pollution impacts. In addition, we engage landscape architects to strategically design and install vegetative buffers that carefully architect a solution for the adjacent residential properties.