SOLAR FARM MANIA
An interesting fellow drove into the farm last week and caught me as I was coming back from moving the cows. He was a real estate developer working for a solar farm outfit.
We talked for an hour. I'm always fascinated by people who do something extremely different than me and try to learn as much as I can from them. He was my age (an old geezer) with a wealth of experience and stories. He struck me quickly as a Sherlock Holmes type; quiet, observant, and thorough.
I'm going to put in tidbits of our conversation that I've not seen in newspaper articles because they help flesh out solar farm logistics. As anybody with their ear to the ground knows, solar farms are the new darling of green energy. Companies are forming every day to tap into this fad.
The problem is that these new companies don't build grid infrastructure so they need to locate as near to an existing utility line as possible. Since these electric lines can only carry a certain capacity, all the opportunity is loaded on the front end. The first land owners who sign an agreement get in; if it goes well and others nearby want to add more solar farm acreage, they can't because the lines can only carry so much electricity. It's an extremely front-loaded deal.
He was looking for 400-600 acres. That's the official sweet spot. He offered me a 30-year lease at about $1,000 per acre. If you know anything about farming, that beats cows, corn, and cotton, especially since you don't have to do anything but sit on your front porch and look at solar panels. You'd think farmers would jump at this faster than kids on a pinata. What's the problem?
Aesthetics. Compared to watching forests and livestock, solar panels are ugly and sterile. A "Not In My Backyard" stigma surrounds these things. When he searched Virginia for the perfect place that matched all the criteria, he found Swoope in general and right here at Polyface or adjacent land specifically.
I didn't say yes. But I must admit that the idea of earning half a million a year for 30 years while sitting on my kiester had momentary appeal. I talked to an engineer friend about it. He confirmed my intuitions. Anybody who thinks today's solar panels will still be credible in 30 years isn't thinking clearly. Do you realize how much energy use and creation has changed in the last 30 years?
Does anyone think, with the rapid development of technology, that we're not going to see accelerating innovation in the next 30 years? From nuclear fusion to hydrogen to mirrors and wood gas, we're on the cusp of energy innovation like we've never seen. That includes conservation. At the abattoir I co-own, a couple of years ago we replaced our boiler and immediately saved $4,000 in natural gas costs per month. Across the board we're squeezing more value out of every morsel of energy.
To think that these solar panels will still be state-of-the-art in 30 years borders on insanity. The agreements, you can be assured, will have all sorts of escape clauses for contingencies. Signing one is as foolish as signing an agreement with Tyson to borrow half a million dollars to grow chickens for the next 30 years. But people line up to do it every day.
Interestingly, these panels give off a lot of heat. A LOT of heat. In fact, they're 12 percent more efficient in the winter than in the summer. Because of that, vegetation must be kept mowed around them to allow good airflow to dissipate the heat. This fellow was intrigued by our ability at Polyface to move animals around and asked if we'd be willing to graze a solar farm with sheep rather than the company having to hire a crew of people to run weed whackers all day. I assured him we'd be delighted and honored to mow the solar farm with sheep. Not sure we want it next door, but . . . .
By turning down his request, am I an enemy of green energy?