Farms, open land, and preserved forests are among Brown County’s charms. Residents enjoy the peaceful, organic ambiance and beauty that the wilderness brings. Over the past few years, a different type of farm, solar farms, have begun to seize the natural land. Rusty Durbin became a dedicated advocate against the careless placements of the solar farms. When bringing up the subject with others, Durbin was shocked to find that nearly no one knows about the continuous construction of the solar farms.
A solar farm is comprised of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels that are installed in numerous rows where land is available. From a bird’s-eye-view, the farms make it appear as though a section of the environment just had new tile flooring put in. The panels absorb energy directly from the sun and convert it into electricity. Rather than being used locally, the electricity produced by the solar panels goes from direct currents (DC) to alternating currents (AC) then goes through the power grid. Afterwards, it is sold off of the grid to different power companies that the public invests in for their electricity. A large amount of land is required for solar farms to produce a decent amount of electricity.
According to LandMarkdividend, “For every 1kW of solar panels needed, the area required is approximately 100 square feet. This means, that, for a 1mW solar PV power plant, the area required is about 2.5 acres or 100,000 square feet.”
The primary reason as to why solar farms are installed is to provide an alternative energy source to the quickly depleting fossil fuels. Solar energy is a renewable energy source and available all over the world. As time goes on, the air pollution worsens with the use of fossil fuels. Solar energy does not contribute to air pollution, so air quality can be improved with the expanse of solar farms. They are also a one-time investment, have a long lifespan, require low maintenance and create electricity quietly. However, solar farms have their share of disadvantages as well.
The one-time investment to create a solar farm is highly expensive, as all energy sources are. Since solar panels rely on the sun to generate electricity, they cannot work during the night. They can still perform during cloudy days. As mentioned previously, solar farms require a large amount of space. The process of manufacturing, transporting, and installing solar farms contributes to air pollution despite the electricity production itself not. With the surplus of panels needed to create a farm, the air pollution adds up quickly. When panels begin to fizzle out, they become decommissioned where they turn into toxic, solid waste. If not disposed of properly, the waste can tremendously negatively impact the environment. The solar energy is not efficient, with only transforming 20% of the absorbed sunlight into electricity. The presence of farms on properties significantly lowers one’s property value, as they are not the most pleasant sight and replace natural vegetation.
“There’s nearly nothing good about solar panels.” Durbin said. “We get no breaks, we get no energy or anything.”
Located in Mt. Orab, Ohio, the Amazon Solar Farm Ohio – Hillcrest is a 200 MW solar energy facility consisting of 606,480 solar panels. Durbin called the Brown County Auditor’s Office to find out more information about it. He discovered that Hillcrest had changed owners and now belongs to Canada. There was a pallet fund associated with the Hillcrest project that was supposed to generate tax money for the county and township; however, no money was received as time passed by.
Solar energy companies have sought out farmers to lease property from. Rates for farmers range from $300 to $2,000 per acre each year of the lease, with rent increases spelled out in the contract. The additional, steady income of the solar panels is nice; however, the downsides are still present. The solar energy companies will require ample space, typically around 50 acres. If one decides to rid their farm of the panels, the decommission price of the panels is hefty and creates toxic waste. The general presence of solar panels have no effect of the soil quality or the land itself.
As time has passed and communities have spoken up against the presence of solar farms, a couple bills have passed to protect them. The Ohio Bill 501 subjects small solar facilities to local regulation.
According to the Ohio Senate Bill Number 52 it permits, “a board of county commissioners to prevent power siting board certification of certain wind and solar facilities, to provide ad hoc members of the power siting board, and to establish decommissioning requirements for certain wind and solar facilities.”
Solar farms are a great alternative to fossil fuels and provide a renewable energy source. Unfortunately, they also come with a fair amount of disadvantages. Durbin seeks to spread awareness of the solar farms and how they affect the community. There will be a meeting concerning the presence of solar farms on February 14, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. held at the Bethel-Tate Fire Department on 149 North East Street, Bethel. He invites the community to join the meeting.
