About Solar Energy

How Solar Works

Getting electricity into your home or business begins with generation.

The three major ways that electricity is currently generated in the U.S. include:

a) from burning fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, and natural gas (~60%),

b) from nuclear energy (~20%), and

c) from renewable energy sources, like solar and wind (~20%).

In Wisconsin,  coal-fired power plants provided 39% of Wisconsin's electricity net generation in 2020, down from a high of 82% in 1997.

Once energy is generated, distribution lines will carry the energy from Honey Creek Solar to areas where it’s used, like homes and businesses. Along the way, transformers will step-up and step-down the power to the appropriate voltage for moving through distribution lines. The power will also be converted from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC), which is both easier to transmit over long distances and is the type of power that is used in most homes.

Solar and other generation facilities typically connect to the larger electrical grid. Before interconnection can occur, studies may need to take place to determine whether any upgrades to power lines or other electrical facilities are needed. The Honey Creek Solar project has been studied for interconnection to the existing 3-phase distribution lines along Highway 20 and was found to be able to feasibly interconnect without any major upgrades to the electric system. 

Solar as a Good Neighbor

One of the benefits of using land to host solar panels as opposed to other commercial or industrial uses is that solar has a reputation for being a good neighbor. 

Some of the common concerns with other industrial uses that you won’t encounter with solar panels include:

  • Noise. If you’re near a solar farm, chances are you won’t hear a thing. The panels themselves don’t make any noise, and sound levels from inverters range from 48 to 72 decibels at a distance of 10 feet–far closer than anyone will get to the inverters. In fact, the minimum distance from the parcel boundary to the inverters is 310 feet. For comparison, a household refrigerator is about 55 decibels, and normal conversation takes place at about 60-70 decibels.

  • Dust, smoke, and particulate pollution. No dust, smoke, or particulates will be created once the solar facility is in operation. During construction, appropriate dust control measures using industry best practices will be implemented.

  • Traffic. Once a solar facility is up and running, it requires very little maintenance, which means sparse traffic to and from the facility. One or two light-duty vehicles per month are expected.

  • Chemicals and toxins. While some solar panels do contain metals that can be harmful to human health and the environment when improperly disposed of (similar to cellphones and other digital devices), solar energy systems do not pollute the water or air, and there is no evidence that solar panels are harmful to human health when in operation, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

  • Odor. Solar panels emit no odor. You can’t say that about most other industrial and commercial facilities!

  • Glare. Solar panels reflect far less sunlight than many common materials, including those found in nature, like snow and flat water.

  1. Benefits of Solar for Rural Communities

Diversifying energy generation supports energy resiliency, economic growth, and Wisconsin's energy independence.

Solar energy offers a consistent, reliable form of energy production that utilizes the sun. Solar generates the most during summertime, which is the time of year Wisconsin's energy use peaks. Solar components require little maintenance and rarely experience failure. Renewable energy also allows rural communities the opportunity to produce their own energy in a way that’s inexpensive and independent of big power producers.

In rural areas, solar energy offers the benefits of new revenue sources for landowners. It increases the size and diversity of the tax base, and provides an opportunity for those engaging in land-based activities to diversify and stabilize their income sources. Solar energy development may also create short- and long-term job opportunities for local workers, including apprenticeship opportunities.

According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin has a current energy spending deficit of $14.4 billion ($14.4 billion in expenditures leaves the state annually). With no substantial in-state fossil fuel resources, reliance on fossil fuels is hurting the Wisconsin economy. Transitioning to in-state energy resources would bring dollars and jobs back to the state of Wisconsin and provide a win-win-win strategy for economic growth, social well-being, and environmental protection. 

 

About Dual-Use Solar

A form of agrivoltaics (a combination of the words “agriculture” and “photovoltaic"), dual-use solar is the practice of simultaneously using land for both solar PV generation and agricultural practices with the two systems complementing one another. The Honey Creek Solar facility will integrate a pollinator-friendly prairie with a predominantly native seed mix, where pollinators such as bees and butterflies and small widlife like birds, rabbits, and foxes will have ample habitat to thrive. Pollinator-friendly solar is a win-win for the environment, the community, and farmers–the dual-use allows the land to rest while improving soil nutrients, improves the visual aspect of the project and restores lost native prairie in Wisconsin, and reduces the need for mowing on site. By reducing mowing operations, the vegetation is also kept safer for wildlife. OneEnergy often partners with our landowners or local farmers to graze sheep on sites. This arrangement provides a diversified source of income for the farmer/grazer and benefits the sheep as they forage in the shade of the solar panels. 

External links

To learn more about how solar energy works, the benefits of solar, and solar grazing, consider: