Fact checking solar farms: the good, the bad, and everything in-between

Adams County, Illinois (KHQA) — As we see more solar projects come to Adams County, stirring up discourse between the communities and the solar companies, it’s shedding a light on the pros and cons of the energy source.

For many residents, the biggest concern is aesthetics…

“We have to look across the street and see a solar powered plant. Who wants to see that?’ asked one concerned citizen at an Adams County Board meeting discussing the new Ghost Hollow Road solar farm project.

…But there’s also questions about the health and sustainability of these projects.

So, let’s take a look at some of the biggest concerns about solar farms; and clear the air on some possible downfalls, benefits, and straight-up misinformation.

Aren’t there a lot of toxic metals involved?

Certain toxic metals are used to create solar panels, and how much of it is in them depends on the company.

But the panels are built to prevent them from leaking.

“The only way a heavy metal can be released from a solar panel itself, is if the panel is damaged, and even then, it’s going to take a lot in order to have that come out,” said Alan Bailey, the Midwest Solar Specialist for American Farmland Trust.

While Alan said it’s unlikely, he also admitted there’s not a lot of research on it out there either.

“I guess no matter what kind of energy you use, there’s always going to be some something, right? Whether it’s hydro, whether it’s solar, there’s always a process to build these projects. It’s not a perfect situation. And I would say that the industry is looking to find ways that are better for the environment,” said Stephanie Burgos-Veras, the Senior Manager of Equity Programs with Coalition for Community Solar Access.

Then there’s the lithium batteries that the solar energy is stored in.

“I do recognize that it’s not perfect, but when you compare it to the impact that coal has to developing solar panels and battery, I think overall, we can say that it’s definitely the healthier and the safest way. But obviously, always going for improvement, to improve our technologies and ensure that we’re protecting our air, our water and our quality, of life” said Burgos-Veras.

How efficient are solar panels?

Studies published in “Science Direct” show coal’s max thermal efficiency is about 45%, but solar’s max sits around 30%.

But, since solar stores its energy in batteries, it’s helping to make the practice a little more sustainable.

“We’re starting to be able to store excess energy into battery and ensure that there is energy that is continuing to be pushed into the grid when the sun isn’t shining” said Burgos-Veras.

There’s no denying though, solar isn’t as efficient as fossil fuel energy. But Burgos-Veras said that it’s still worth it.

“In terms of the environmental benefits, solar uses what we already have access to, the sun, and converts it into energy. Where coal is making our air dirtier and unsafe, and has a lot of negative consequences from that,” said Burgos-Veras.

Will the community actually benefit?

The out-of-state solar farm companies are coming to town with promises of workforce and economic development.

“Often times you may have a company owner that may not be based in the state of Illinois, but the workers that they’re hiring are for the state of Illinois, and the bill credits that are generated will go to Illinois residents. And the energy that is being produced will be distributed into the Illinois grid,” said Burgos-Veras.

That means resident will be allowed to tap into that solar energy to cut down their bills and the solar farm has to pay property taxes to the city.

“Just because you have a headquarter outside of the state, it does not mean that that other state will get those benefits. So, residents shouldn’t have any fear about a different address. They should feel assured that they will see benefits,” said Burgos-Veras.

All residents have to do is subscribe to the community solar farm and then they’ll start seeing the savings, said Burgos-Veras.

The ability to subscribe to the community solar farm and save is something residents are protected by under Illinois law through the Illinois Solar for All Program. as long as the company is an approved vendor.

Bailey agreed that communities benefit economically from these projects.

“The tax benefits, property tax benefits that come with it, as compared to what it is as farmland, can considerably help some of these rural counties and communities and school districts that need Some other need some additional funding without raising property taxes on the rest of the residents in those areas,” said Bailey.

While rising energy costs are impacting the entire state, and residents are getting sticker shock from their energy bill, Burgos-Veras said the solar farm could change that for Adams County.

“Right now, a lot of customers across the state are starting to experience and feel the plunge on rising energy bills. And the reason is that we need more energy, and we need more supply…The thing that solar can do is that, once again, it can build faster, and the more supply you’re able to add onto the grid, the cheaper the energy will become,” said Burgos-Veras.

What about the farmland?

“Within rural communities, it’s a drastic change, and they see the farmland losses a major issue. We do see that of concern also when you start to reach certain thresholds of acres converted within rural counties to where it starts to affect other ancillary businesses within the agricultural community,” said Bailey.

But there is growing popularity in agrivoltaics, which the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) defines as the “practice as crop production, livestock grazing, and/or pollinator habitat beneath or adjacent to solar panel.”

Pivot Energy, the solar company in charge of the solar farm project on Ghost Hollow Road, has a history of using this practice, but it’s unclear if they will do so with this project.

So, it is too soon to tell how this will impact the agriculture community in Adams County.

How long is construction?

According to Burgos-Veras, solar farms can provide energy quicker than fossil fuels…

“It’s just faster to build and deploy. A fossil fuel, a gas turbine, it takes seven to eight years, sometimes even more, to build. And so that means that you’re not going to have enough capacity in the electric grid to serve the demand. Whereas community solar farms, because they’re smaller and are a little bit more adaptable in how you design them, where you build them…You can kind of build it quicker, and it takes somewhere from two to four years, sometimes a little bit less. In that term, it is much more efficient because it’s faster to build,” said Burgos-Veras.

…And is less expensive, too because private companies help funnel and build these projects at a much faster pace, instead of passing the bill off to taxpayers.

“In terms of efficiency, it’s faster to build and it’s cheaper to build,” said Burgos-Veras.

What happens when the solar farm closes?

The image of hundreds of rows of solar panels rotting away unusable in the middle of a community because the company skipped town, is a nightmare.

But Bailey says that’s unlikely.

“At the end of the life cycle of a project, there are some one offs, but generally, within the Midwest region, a site is able to be fully returned to farmland, if that’s what it was before. It is pretty simple. Posts or piles are driven into the ground. They can be easily pulled out, but they’re not placed in, typically, in concrete or anything like that. Unless they run into some bedrock or something like that. But typically, it could be taken apart pretty easily and returned to its original site,” said Bailey.

Illinois law also requires any solar farm bigger that .5 megawatts to have an agricultural impact mitigation agreement, contractually obligating the solar company to return the land to its original state within 12 months of its closure.

The solar project on Ghost Hollow Road is 3.4 megawatts, and the Ursa project is 4 megawatts, so both are protected by that law.

As for the solar panels themselves, they have a long lifespan. They can last 25-35 years, according to SETO.

Once they’ve completed that lifespan, they can be updated with new technology or recycled, said Burgos-Veras.

“It’s just not going to be left there and will be abandoned. That’s not the way it’s going to look. And it’s compared to a gas plant or a nuclear plant that, once it’s built, it’s really hard to take away, right?” said Burgos-Veras.

85% of the materials used are things we already know how to recycle, according to SETO.

“There are recycling facilities that are being constructed in the US. With the life cycle of solar projects, there hasn’t been a huge need for recycling, because of the life of the panels,” said Bailey.

But SETO also stated in 2024 that the recycling of panels is “not currently cost-effective or widely adopted.” SETO said they are worked on a plan to change that.