Had a interesting conversation at dinner few evenings ago at a marketing meeting. A county board member happened to sit down next to me. We talked some before the dinner, and the solar farm zoning issue came up. I have a couple friends who had applied for request to put solar panels on several parcels of land they own, along with other neighboring land owners. This solar farm is being started by a small nearby village/town. Some was approved, some not. Waste ground, non farm able ground approved, farm ground not approved. Poor, or low quality farm ground can be approved though, as some was. Such as HES, "highly erodible soil", or poor producing soil. Seems as these Solar Farms are taking hold around here, as the county board member said they have more requesting to do so. Some of these parcels are large also. With the farm markets as they are, the county expects this issue to grow larger rapidly. Depressed farm market prices are pushing this along as the high cost crop input prices continue with very poor returns, if any. And here again, these Solar Farms produce taxes into the county coffers. A very successful person/investor, told me last year that this would be happening with the high efficiency of the panels today, as compared to just a few years ago. I would now expect to see him, with his HEL farm ground to do this. I have yet to see this guy invest in anything that did not work out as he thought it would.
Solar Farms
- Thread starter old abe
- Start date
snobuilder
Well-known member
Most of these fringe energy ideas are heavily funded by the taxpayers so I think your friend stands to prosper. ....sure beats working like a farmer for a living.
Well snobuilder, he's been a ag industry upper level executive, at several large corporations all his career. He hires his farming done. But he is a very nice person to know, as he is very knowledgeable on industry, and what is going on with it. He also knows the right people to get things done.
G
G
Guest
Several years ago I was part of an effort to put together a municipal swimming pool project. One topic that came up was capturing some solar energy to help heat the pool. At that time we got some input that basically said solar was ineffective and would never pay for itself at our location simply because of the fact that we are too far north. Solar can and does pay for itself at Arizona like lattitudes. Again this was a few years ago. For sure things have advanced. Also snobuilder is right in that there is a lot of federal and state money out there for such projects. There were first generation windchargers that really didn't work out too well but they learned from them and now they are better. Perhaps it will be the same with solar. Battery storage is and always been a major problem with solar. Perhaps if Elon would not smoke as much weed he could figure this battery thing out!!!!
Not to argue grub, but most municipal, and school pools what are of large size pools, have been using solar as water heaters for over 20 years. They work very well for this as the sun is naturally in high sky in the summer pool season. One of our close communities just a few years ago replaced the old pools with new ones. They save a lot of energy heating the water by solar is what I discovered in the new pool project, and have done so for many years. Full cost returns in a short period of time is a no brainier. A very successful friend, and his wife donated a large portion of the costs of the new facility. His family has been very generous to the community in many projects over the years.
I see a ton of these small to mid size solar farms poping up along county roads all over .
don't think any solar close to a metro is worried about power storage. that is more of a off grid home owner concern . even home owners on a grid are just selling back what they do not use at the time they are producing
don't think any solar close to a metro is worried about power storage. that is more of a off grid home owner concern . even home owners on a grid are just selling back what they do not use at the time they are producing
ezra my sister and her husband have been selling excess electricity from their solar system back for almost twenty years now. It has worked very well for them. Installed when they built their new home, and glad they did. I am of the opinion we will see much more of this with high efficiency of the panels being produced today, as I have now found that many rural communities are installing solar farms also.
bogiewheel
Member
There are some large farms being built and many more proposed. Technology has taken solar out of the need for subsidy, expect they will continue to expand. Agree, storage is still a challenge therefore those that make sense must be near a substation to get on a grid and proximity to population for the large projects is needed. Also needed is land owners who will lease near that substation such that the project can be economically built.
We may not like the panels in the neighborhood but it sure is green and certainly is the future. Landowner returns far exceed cash grain on good or marginal land.
We may not like the panels in the neighborhood but it sure is green and certainly is the future. Landowner returns far exceed cash grain on good or marginal land.
tealracing16
Member
Grub - I think you guys looked at the wrong solar technology. You shouldn't be making electricity to heat the water. You need to use the energy to directly heat the water. We do that locally and it works great unless the snow covers the blankets but being black they melt quick and the water heats up nicely.
favoritos
Well-known member
Solar hydronic does create a better return. Heat is the biggest consumption item and direct hydronic feeds directly into that need.
The photovoltaic are not yet cost effective without subsidised implementation in our region. Lifespan is also a concern. They are a good idea for off grid use to directly supply electric. They just can't produce the efficiency compared to grid power.
It seems surprising when I see good farmland going to these solar projects. That land will be out of production for awhile and returning it to farmland will not be cheap. It is short term thinking.
The photovoltaic are not yet cost effective without subsidised implementation in our region. Lifespan is also a concern. They are a good idea for off grid use to directly supply electric. They just can't produce the efficiency compared to grid power.
It seems surprising when I see good farmland going to these solar projects. That land will be out of production for awhile and returning it to farmland will not be cheap. It is short term thinking.
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I think it will become standard issue on most roofs in the next 20yrs .with the shingle look panels the fence panels etc and cost continuing to drop.
if in a sun state you have to be a idiot not to vo with it when getting a new roof . and new construction in a sun state no brain decision
if in a sun state you have to be a idiot not to vo with it when getting a new roof . and new construction in a sun state no brain decision
favoritos
Well-known member
Old abe,
I am not trying to get into any argument about the benefits of solar. I am for any better source of energy. Long term power without much more pollution sounds like a good thing.
Family has been using solar and geo for over 20 years. Much of that is also in Europe where they have been playing around with the stuff much longer. The wifey wanted to go full solar at home so we researched a lot. The little local utilities in Europe install pretty much anything you want when you build your home. Those utilities do provide a considerable background of real world energy systems and their efficiencies.
We have surprisingly good sunlight right here in the midwest. It provides better averages than many climates further south. There is no argument against having the ability to generate quite effectively from the sun right here.
Going along the lines of Ezra's argument, we will most likely replace our south facing roof with solar at the end our current roof lifespan. It does make sense. Do it right and the solar roof will probably even outlast standard materials. It is not cheap or easy to do it right yet. Yes we could plop a bunch of panels on the regular roof. Is that the right way? We could use the land to build our own solar farm. I just don't like that idea in principle since we already use that land. It is also surprising how much concrete etc. is used to build large arrays. It is not a simple and cheap task to remove all that material if you do want to use that land in the future.
The parts of the world that have been using solar for a long time still put up a lot of hydronic solar. This is a fact even in temperate climates. Creating heat takes energy. Finding the most efficient method to create and store heat seems to give the edge to hydronic solar at this point.
I am not trying to get into any argument about the benefits of solar. I am for any better source of energy. Long term power without much more pollution sounds like a good thing.
Family has been using solar and geo for over 20 years. Much of that is also in Europe where they have been playing around with the stuff much longer. The wifey wanted to go full solar at home so we researched a lot. The little local utilities in Europe install pretty much anything you want when you build your home. Those utilities do provide a considerable background of real world energy systems and their efficiencies.
We have surprisingly good sunlight right here in the midwest. It provides better averages than many climates further south. There is no argument against having the ability to generate quite effectively from the sun right here.
Going along the lines of Ezra's argument, we will most likely replace our south facing roof with solar at the end our current roof lifespan. It does make sense. Do it right and the solar roof will probably even outlast standard materials. It is not cheap or easy to do it right yet. Yes we could plop a bunch of panels on the regular roof. Is that the right way? We could use the land to build our own solar farm. I just don't like that idea in principle since we already use that land. It is also surprising how much concrete etc. is used to build large arrays. It is not a simple and cheap task to remove all that material if you do want to use that land in the future.
The parts of the world that have been using solar for a long time still put up a lot of hydronic solar. This is a fact even in temperate climates. Creating heat takes energy. Finding the most efficient method to create and store heat seems to give the edge to hydronic solar at this point.
I do agree favoritos. But what I have learned in the last few years, tech is making what wasn't possible, or cost effective, just a few years ago, now is. Marginal, and less productive crop ground is to risky to crop now days. This due to high costs of inputs necessary to put a crop in, and poor market prices for return. The solar farm offers a much better stable return. From what a county board member told me it even works on good stable producing acres now. Same thing my friends who are putting solar in tell me. This is what the county is stressed with in zoning. It appears this solar thing is going forward in our area. I don't have a dog in this fight, but just glad to see opportunities in any kind of energy production. More choices are good in my thoughts.
favoritos
Well-known member
Old Abe, I think we are talking some of the same. There is a lot of marginal land that really makes sense. It is not always marginal land being converted. I have personal experience with a large solar farm right in the middle of prime farmland. It just didn't make sense the put in a large 450 acre array in the middle of prime land. Yes farming isn't much of a way to make a living now. But, I just don't like the idea of taking good land out of the mix. Land converted to solar is not just gone for the short term.
Everybody with a roof could have their own small solar farm. It makes sense to put solar roofing on all the currently bare tops. If you are already building a waterproof structure, why not make it dual purpose? Everybody needs a roof and right now they don't do much more than keep out water.
Everybody with a roof could have their own small solar farm. It makes sense to put solar roofing on all the currently bare tops. If you are already building a waterproof structure, why not make it dual purpose? Everybody needs a roof and right now they don't do much more than keep out water.
snobuilder
Well-known member
...LOL....when we start selling "solar roofs" (non subsidized) off the shelf at the Depot, you will know it has reached the right price.....til then....????