How Much Land is Needed to Build a Solar Farm?

If you are like most landowners, the idea of solar development is somewhat new and you probably have some common questions about how the development process works. You’re not alone in this, because one of the most frequently asked questions is, “How much land is needed to build a solar farm?”

What Are My Options?

Most people either envision solar panels on their roof – which may consist of a handful of panels – or the giant solar farms you can spot from an airplane flying over Arizona. This really is part of the beauty of solar energy – it’s a modular system that can be built as large or small as needed to fit the energy need of that area. In the first case, a single house – in the latter case, an entire town.

You may be curious because you own land you believe could qualify for a solar project and are in an area that is experiencing an uptick of development activity. Both of these are most likely related to what the industry calls “utility-scale” solar development – which basically means that the energy is sold back to the local utility and then distributed to the energy customers in the area. These are the types of projects that private developers are seeking to lease land for projects.

Now, there are typically two different size projects: Transmission-Scale and Distributed Generation (DG).

Transmission-Scale

The Transmission-Scale projects are the larger of the two and typically require a minimum of 150 useable acres up to 600 acres or more. These projects connect to transmission lines (high-tension power lines) and need to be large because there are significant costs associated with connecting to the powerlines and the project needs to be large enough to find the efficiencies of scale (remember that one from economics class?).

Distributed Generation

The DG projects are much smaller – ranging from 10 to 50 useable acres. Most of these will tend to be on the smaller side of the scale and tie into the smaller power lines (3 phase or “distribution lines”).

What is a "useable" acre?

We mention the term “useable” acres because it’s important to know that land covered by wetlands, excessive floodplain, heavy slope or other uses that make the property un-useable for solar cannot be built upon.

Local Regulations & Restrictions

Finally, and most importantly, the utility-scale solar development industry on a state level is dictated by regulation and subsidized programs. It’s the reason that one area could be booming and, in another area just over the state lines, there is nothing happening. These programs often specify which types of projects will qualify – either DG or Transmission-Scale. So, depending on your area, the only viable project may be one or the other.

If you would like to learn more about the solar activity in your area, please feel free to contact us and we’ll perform a complimentary review of your property.

4 Keys to Getting Community Buy-In

President Biden was elected on promises that (among other things) he would launch a Clean Energy Revolution in the United States that would eventually help the country achieve the ambitious goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Rystad Energy has estimated that we would need about 13,412 square miles of land to install all the solar panels needed to help bring about this great transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

Some alarmist voices have raised concerns as to the availability of land to achieve said objectives. At NLR Solar, we do not share that concern. While the required space does speak to the imagination, the room we need is still only about 0.43 percent of the total land area of the contiguous 48 states. By 2050, 89 percent of the U.S. population will live in urban areas. Leave these urban areas, and you will find enough space for the solar farms we will need.

NIMBY

It is not the scarcity of land that will give us trouble, but a phenomenon known as NIMBY—an acronym for the phrase “not in my backyard”—where everybody likes the idea of solar farms, but nobody wants to actually live next to one.

Our team has seen so many promising projects crumble to pieces because the local community would not approve of the development. Developers throughout the country and of all kinds will eventually find themselves stuck with the task of having to convince local communities to be okay with certain projects. Solar projects in particular can elicit resentment with a few individuals at first, even though ultimately they will benefit the entire community.

A great example is one recent project based in Rhode Island. The local community was in favor of solar energy, but when it came time to decide where the solar farm would be, nobody wanted to have it close to their own home. They said it was “unsightly!” The only destination no one seemed to object to was the landfill. The citizens had to be convinced that the farm could not be placed there because it was not anywhere close to a power line or substation. So what can developers do to sell the local community on welcoming a new solar farm in their community?

4 Keys to Selling Solar Energy

Be Transparent

Developers should not sugarcoat any part of the project. Be open about what will end up where and how it will look, but also be transparent about why certain options are simply not available. You can not simply put a solar farm in the middle of nowhere, even if intuitively the word “farm” might make you believe otherwise. You need a solar farm to be close to either a substation or power line. So, explain to people what criteria need to be met by the location where the solar farm is going and why and how the location you have in mind fits the bill perfectly.

Give People A Voice

Allow people to voice their concerns and listen to their grievances. Sometimes their grievances will be based on information you will be able to correct (one common grievance is that the solar farm will take agriculture out of production). Sometimes people will be well-informed about the facts, but you will still be able to explain to them why they should embrace the project. Also, listening to concerns and questions is poised to help you further tune and expand on your communication. You will learn quickly where you have been incomplete, inconsistent, or not transparent enough.

Inoculate Against Firebrands

The large majority will not go up in arms against a solar farm; however, there will often be one or two firebrands (usually the immediate neighbors) who will stir up emotions and risk triggering an escalation of protests. You can not silence your detractors, it is better to apply what psychologists have called an “inoculation” technique, whereby you are up-front with your audience about possible objections and then explain why those objections are ill-informed.

Give Back to the Community

When PILOT programs are in place—”Payments In Lieu Of Taxes”, an arrangement where the developer pays a sum of money to the local municipality to compensate for tax revenue losses that will come with the tax exempt use of the real estate—some of the monies paid by the developer can easily be used to invest in the local community. While it is not the developer per se who will decide on how the money will be allocated (a new park, books for the library, new equipment for the football team, etc.), there is no reason why developers should feel shy about presenting the projected investment of additional resources in the local community as an important benefit offered by the project.

The Bottom Line

There is no lack of room in the U.S. to fulfill its solar energy needs in the future; however, developers will continue to need to communicate transparently, give people who are concerned a voice, inoculate (where necessary) against firebrands, and explain the benefits of the PILOT programs in place.

If you’re a developer in need of partners who are experts in land acquisition within the solar industry, consider Scout Land Consultants. Our team has secured site control on over 1,400 properties across the U.S.

If you’re a landowner interested in being a part of this exciting new push toward sustainable energy, contact us for a complimentary evaluation of your property!

What is the Solar Site Exchange?

If you’re in the business of solar development, then you’re well aware of the challenges that come with finding a quality project site. Today’s marketplace for solar sites is complex. With competition on the rise and policy and regulatory environments changing at a quicker pace, the window of execution continues to grow shorter. The Solar Site Exchange, an exclusive NLR Solar offering, is a curated database of readily-available solar sites enabling you to begin project development sooner, saving you time and money and reducing project risk.

NLR Solar is a renewable power platform and advisor focused on site acquisition for development. For the better part of a decade, our team has heavily focused on helping solar developers partner with landowners to sign over 1,100 land agreements across the country. Our philosophy is simple and effective. We start with the universe of available properties, and use data and systems to reveal the most promising opportunities, then leverage our land team and expertise to facilitate site control.

So Why the Solar Site Exchange?

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It’s Fast

Building an internal site acquisition team is expensive and time consuming, and, by the time you are ready to transact, the market may have changed. Technology platforms that are readily available to the market are frequently used by a number of developers; watering down any competitive edge you may have on properties. NLR Solar uses proprietary technology which we do not license or sell, but instead use the data to hone in on the best sites. We’ve done the heavy lifting with the landowner relationship so you don’t have to.

Prior to entering the Exchange, the landowner is made aware of the basic terms of a solar lease and has confirmed interest in moving forward should an opportunity arise, ensuring that if you’re interested in moving forward, you know they have some level of interest already as well.

Reduced Risk

NLR Solar carries the cost of site targeting, and owner contact, enabling you to review and select only the parcels you’d like to pursue. You also get the benefit of an experienced land specialist who will help you get the property to site control – under terms which are acceptable to you. No more training a local land agent on solar lease who has divided interests.

The NLR Solar team exclusively focuses on solar, meaning our team are experts in solar development and what’s needed for you to develop a successful project. We have a rigorous screening process that will speed up your desktop engineering review, including details on the surrounding infrastructure, site environmental factors, and even permitting insights. We’ve truly taken most of the guesswork out of it, so your precious time and resources aren’t wasted in a space where every minute counts.

Financial Alignment

Our compensation schedule is designed to align with the developer’s investment cycle. By taking the majority of the fee at project construction, it ensures that we only win when our partners win. With NLR Solar, you can be confident we’re a trusted partner you can rely on, not just another vendor to deal with through the complex process of developing a solar project.

Interested in learning more about how the Solar Site Exchange could expedite the solar development project for you – saving you time, money and frustration?

Our team at Scout Land Consultants would love to connect or walk you through a demo of how the software works. Contact us today to explore if our technology may be the right fit for you!