It’s a dodge since the farm mentioned is historic farmland. They aren’t allowed to stop farming and just put up solar.
When Kominek approached Boulder County regulators about putting up solar panels, they initially told him no, his land was designated as historic farmland.
In Kominek’s case, he literally bet the farm in order to finance the roughly $2 million solar arrays.
“We had to put up our farm as collateral as well as the solar array as collateral to the bank,” he says. “If this doesn’t work, we lose the farm.”
If anything it seems like a clever way around zoning. Reading between the lines it seems they view the crops as kind of a bonus, not half the point like the original article makes it seem.
Sorry if I came out like I’m trying to discredit the idea, rather I was just trying to put more information out there - the linked article is fairly light on details.
Like, if your primary business is solar, and as a profitable side project you also produce food, what’s the actual issue there?
There isn’t one. But it’s somewhat concerning that it was more viable for the owner to become a power plant than to run their farm as a farm.
The plants provide a cooling effect, which makes solar more efficient. At the same time, plants are protected from hail and heavy rains. Water loss is reduced, as well. The shade isn’t necessarily a downside, as some plants prefer it.
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It works really well, so how is it a dodge? Is watering crops also a dodge?
It’s a dodge since the farm mentioned is historic farmland. They aren’t allowed to stop farming and just put up solar.
From: Original NPR story
If anything it seems like a clever way around zoning. Reading between the lines it seems they view the crops as kind of a bonus, not half the point like the original article makes it seem.
You’ve got a really bizarre view of this, like you’re really looking for an angle to discredit it.
Like, if your primary business is solar, and as a profitable side project you also produce food, what’s the actual issue there?
Sorry if I came out like I’m trying to discredit the idea, rather I was just trying to put more information out there - the linked article is fairly light on details.
There isn’t one. But it’s somewhat concerning that it was more viable for the owner to become a power plant than to run their farm as a farm.
That’s thanks to food monopolies driving the prices farmers get down to barely sustainable levels
The plants provide a cooling effect, which makes solar more efficient. At the same time, plants are protected from hail and heavy rains. Water loss is reduced, as well. The shade isn’t necessarily a downside, as some plants prefer it.
Transparent panels are a thing now too, if you can optimise your panels for the wavelengths your plants don’t need that’s even better.