What are the benefits to leasing my land for solar?
✓ Steady long-term income over 25+ years.
What are the lease rates? How much are you offering per acre?
✓ Lease rates differ for each project and are typically based on solar system size.
Will my property tax bill increase?
✓ No. The project company pays all taxes related to solar.
Is there a lease agreement involved?
✓ Yes. The standard operating term of a solar land lease is 25 years plus two (2) ten-year (10) optional extensions. The operating term is preceded by the development period that lasts up to three years and is usually much shorter for smaller projects.
What happens at the end of the lease agreement?
✓ All panels and related equipment are removed and recycled returning the land to its pre-lease condition.
What if I don’t own the land?
✓ You must be an authorized representative of the landowner.
What is considered suitable land? Does my land qualify?
✓ We consider land of all sizes and shapes. Successful projects are built on clear, flat property with immediate access to 3-phase power. We will perform all the necessary studies, at our expense, and determine whether your land qualifies.
What is a solar farm?
✓ A solar farm is a group of ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) solar panels installed in a sunny location to produce electricity. The electricity from a solar farm is sent to electric grid.
What is the lifespan of a solar farm?
✓ The minimum expected useful life is 25 years; however, many arrays can last for decades beyond that.
How long does construction take?
✓ Up to 6 months and much shorter for smaller projects.
Are there negative environmental impacts of building a solar farm? Are the solar panels toxic?
✓ Solar panels do not create pollution, noise, or introduce hazardous materials.
What is wind energy and how do wind turbines work?
✓ Wind energy refers to the process where wind turbines convert the kinetic energy of moving air into electricity. Turbines are harness and capture this energy by using the wind to spin the turbine’s blades, which rotates a shaft connected to a generator to make electricity.
How are wind farms developed?
✓ The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) maintains the importance for energy project developers to engage with local communities, state and local authorities, and other stakeholders early in the siting and development process. Before installing the turbines, the developer will assess the wind resources at a particular site by collecting data, determining access to transmission lines, and considering environmental and community impacts.
✓ If sufficient wind resources are found, the developer will secure land leases from property owners, obtain the necessary permits and financing, and then purchase and install the turbines. The completed facility is often sold to an independent operator who then generates electricity to sell to the local utilities.
How can I get a wind turbine or wind farm on my property?
✓ The basic steps for installing a small wind turbine on your property include:
- Determine the wind resources at the site and whether they’re sufficient for a turbine to make economic sense.
- Find out whether local zoning ordinances will allow wind turbine installations.
- Purchase and install a wind turbine that fits your needs.
What is the wind resource like in my area?
✓ The Wind Energy Technologies Office provides validated, high-resolution state wind maps that show average wind speeds at several different heights above the ground (Appropriate for different sized turbines). Please note that resources can significantly vary based on other factors such as trees, hills and buildings depending on the site.
How do wind turbines affect wildlife and human health?
✓ Wildlife
-
-
-
- Much like all energy projects, wildlife impacts from wind projects vary by location. The wind industry ensures the mitigation of effects by incorporating pre- and post-development studies, educated siting, and other impact reduction tools to decrease wildlife repercussions.
- U.S Fish & Wildlife Services research shows that wind projects rank near the bottom of the list of human-related bird mortalities, resulting in much fewer annual deaths than those caused by building collisions or vehicle impacts. The Audubon Society strongly supports properly sited wind power as a renewable energy source that reduces the threat posed to birds by climate change.
-
-
✓ Human Health
-
-
-
- Although further research to develop sound mitigation techniques is ongoing, global peer-reviewed scientific data and independent studies consistently find that sound from wind plants has no direct impact on physical human health. Low frequency sound and infrasound from upwind wind turbines are well below the pressure of sound levels known to affect health.
-
-
