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Utility Scale Solar are larger, traditional renewable energy projects. These projects produce electricity to the grid through the transmission network and are paid the wholesale rate for electricity, just like any other power plant. Instead of being regulated by the state government, these are regulated by a regional transmission organization (RTO) like the PJM or SPP
Utility Scale Solar are large scale projects requiring more land and connected to the transmission network for whole-sale power generation. These projects can often consist of thousands of acres and span multiple parcels. Unlike with Community Solar, there is no requirement that it be in the same service territory as to the consumers it is serving.
Determining if your site is a good site for Utility Scale Solar can be challenging as there is usually a significant amount of research that must be done regarding the need for this type of project in your area.
Generally speaking, good Utility Scale Solar Sites are near high voltage transmission lines or an already built electrical substation. There should be a minimum of several hundred acres of buildable land. This land can span different parcels and owners. Special consideration should also be given to the area where the projects are put from a permitting perspective. While solar does not pose a hazard to people, it is often much more difficult to get permitting to build very large projects where there are a significant amount of residential dwellings.
In order for your land to be considered for Utility Solar, it must be good for Solar from a building perspective and a permitting perspective. From a building perspective it must have enough open land (8 -10 acres per megawatt). It must have a good slope (generally speaking if you can farm the land, you can put solar on it). The open land used must also be free of wetlands and floodplains. If the land has zoning, it must be zoned the correct zoning for us to get Special Exemption or Conditional Use Permits. While safe to be around residential areas, the less residential houses near the potential site, the better for permitting purposes.
Are you interested in leasing or selling your land for Utility Solar?
Feel free to Contact Us for a free evaluation
When choosing Demeter and our partners, landowners gain the benefit of well funded and experienced development and finance partners to ensure the highest build rates in the industry. Rather than selling the project after construction as many others in the industry do, our partners also tend to own and operate the solar generation site for the lifetime of the project. This provides landowners a long-term relationship they can rely on and trust in as stewards to their land.