Why ground mount solar farms

A lot of roofs don’t have the design capacity to hold solar panels due to weight. In addition, solar can pose fire risks when installed on a roof – most commercial solar arrays operate upwards of 1,000-1,500 VDC and being direct current, a bad connection is much more likely to continue to arc over and overheat compared to a similar alternating current connection. Moreover, solar connections are outdoors, exposed to water and UV. Installing solar on roofs can damage roofing materials and cause leaks of connectors aren’t propery sealed. It’s not to say you should never do roof top solar – but it’s like green roof, it only works in certain places and can be challenging to do in other locations.

Truth is we have an over-supply of agricultural land out there. We have flooded the markets with cheap commodities, many farmers farm as much to keep their land in their family then to make a profit. Solar can provide a good check – most solar is done as a 40-year lease, with clean up bonds filed against the solar farm – and includes a restoration plan back to agricultural use. As seen in Madison County, restoration plans work – the farm land previously used for wind turbines at end of life was restored to agricultural use when the turbines were removed. Even for a full-build out of solar, it is unlikely to use more then 1-2% of all agricultural lands. Solar panels do not vote, they do no produce traffic or noxious fumes. There may be some 60 Hz hum, impact on scenic views, but probably a net decrease in pollution due to less use of fertilizer and pesticides. Growing crops or even hay is hardly an ecologically benign activity, even if it looks familiar.

Needless to say, especially in a rural area, I would not put solar on a roof but go for a rack mount system. Much easier maintenance, fire safety, lower lifecycle costs with a ground mount. No need to remove panels to replace a roof. Loose wire, broken panel, snow on a panel? A small step ladder can likely be used for servicing. Granted, in suburban and urban areas you don’t always have room for a ground mount, but outside of cities, ground mount is clearly the way to go.