Michigan is on the path to a renewable future, which will help the state fight climate change, provide cheaper and more reliable electricity, increase jobs, and bring in tax money for schools and other services.
However, a successful transition is not at all assured. There is currently a campaign underway in rural areas of Michigan to convince residents that solar and wind installations are dangerous and will destroy the rural way of life.
This campaign uses TV ads, websites, and billboards to build opposition to renewables. They recruit people to attend township zoning meetings to push for zoning restrictions on solar and wind. An estimated 60-70% of townships in Michigan have already created zoning ordinances that effectively make it impossible to build solar installations there.
These campaigns couldn’t be further from the truth. Get the facts on rural renewables and the benefits of solar for all.
FAQ: Straight Talk on Solar
Solar is one way we can become energy independent in MICHIGAN, but as a relatively new concept, there are many questions and concerns about its safety and its economic and environmental consequences.
Here are answers to some common questions about solar.
Aren’t Solar Farms Incompatible with Farming?
Not at all! A dual-use approach to solar and farming, called agrivoltaics, can actually improve certain kinds of farming. Properly spaced solar panels have been found to keep plants healthy. A study done by Oregon State University even found that production increased for crops needing partial shading. Even crops that like full sunlight have a limit on how much sun they can use as they increase in size. Too much sun causes plants to sweat, so more water is needed to keep them healthy.
Luckily, solar panels also help conserve water—a big benefit in a water-hungry world considering agriculture is responsible for 85% of total freshwater use. It's a symbiotic relationship for the panels and plants: while energy is being harvested from solar panels, the plants growing under keep those panels cooler, increasing their efficiency by 10%!
Don’t Solar Installations Affect the Water Supply?
Solar installations use very little water and dramatically less than coal-fired and natural gas plants. On average, a natural gas plant requires over 2,500 gallons of water per megawatt hour. In comparison, utility-scale solar requires 20 gallons per megawatt hour.
More importantly, coal-fired and natural gas plants contribute to climate change, which is impacting our world's natural water cycle, increasing the number of extreme heat days and intensifying flash floods and storms. Solar power helps slow the effects of climate change, which means lowering the number of major storm events that lead to water pollution.
Don't Solar Installations Use Valuable Farmland?
To start a solar farm, the ideal place is large tracts of cleared, flat land; in other words, farmland. Currently, according to the USDA, over 90 million acres of the farmland in the US is planted in corn. Thirty million acres of that corn is used to produce ethanol for automotive fuel. According to the NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) it would take approximately 11.6 million acres of solar panels to power the entire US, including cars. This means by totally electrifying our society, including transportation, we would be returning approximately 19 million acres in the US to food production.
If we want more farmland used for actual food production, solar farms can help achieve that goal.
Will Solar Installations Hurt Property Values?
Property values have proven stable near solar installations. The Lawrence-Berkeley National Laboratory released a report showing that solar installations have no meaningful impact on nearby property values. A similar study by the University of Rhode Island indicated that nearby solar farms can have an effect on suburban property values when replacing green spaces but found no impact on rural property values.
When a utility-scale solar development is proposed, it is not surprising that some people worry about property values. Many owners of smaller properties nearby say the reason they moved into the “country” is that they loved the views of a farming community.
Most solar developers are sensitive to this criticism. Planners include vegetative barriers to block out the view of solar panels. Now, almost all proposed solar development companies include green barriers in their plans.
Do Solar Panels Emit EMFs?
Occasionally, people voice concerns about EMF’s (electromagnetic fields) coming from solar installations on land, such as farmland, near them. All electronic devices emit an electromagnetic field. The strength of the EMF drops dramatically in a short distance from the emitting device.
The legal “setbacks” or distance from solar panels installed on land are far enough away from homes to eliminate any danger from EMF’s (Electric & Magnetic Fields; nih.gov).
Transmission lines are the other possible concern when a solar installation is sited near homes. Many of these are buried underground thus eliminating the danger from this source. If the line is above ground, a distance of 200 feet eliminates any possible harmful risk from EMFs.
In “15 Common Household Appliances That Emit EMF Radiation,” EMF Empowerment reported research has shown harm from EMFs is questionable even at closer distances. Devices in your home likely cause a greater exposure to EMFs for people than a nearby solar farm would!