Potential Environmental and Social Impacts of Solar Energy

Solar Industry Practices for Environmental Stewardship on Utility-Scale Ground Mounted

Projects

by Miriam MakyhounSolar & Renewable Energy Industry SpecialistNC Sustainable Energy Associationmiriam@energync.org

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Solar PV Installations:

Sources: NC Sustainable Energy Association, NC Utilities Commission

ExpectedYear Online

Capacity MW DC

Number of Systems

Solar PV System Capacity

10 kW or Less

Greater than 10 kW through 500

kWGreater than 500

kW

2006 0.26 24 22 2 0

2007 0.32 54 50 4 0

2008 5.49 116 105 7 4

2009 25.88 199 167 24 8

2010 28.43 352 283 57 12

2011 91.59 519 379 107 33

TOTAL 151.97 1,264 1006 201 57

Megawatts (MW) of Registered Solar PV Capacity in North Carolina Expected Online from 2006-2011

152 MW produces 218,059 MWh a year—enough to power over 18,000 homes! This equates to the displacement of 163,539 tons of CO2 equivalent or the planting of 817,695 trees!

Sources: Carbonify, National Renewable Energy Laboratory System Advisor Model

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Market Dynamics

The Cost of Solar PC in NC is DroppingNC Actual & Projected Solar Cost $/W

Source: NC Utilities Commission; “Levelized Cost of Solar PV in NC, 2012” report by NCSEA

3

20002001

20022003

20042005

20062007

20082009

20102011

20122013

20142015

20162017

20182019

2020$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

$8

$9

$10

$11

National Trend (Barbose et al., 2011)

NC, Less than 10 kw

NC, Greater than 10 kw but less than 500 kw

NC, Greater than 500 kw

DOE SunShot - Size not specified

IEA - PV Roadmap, Less than 20 kw

IEA - PV Roadmap, Up to 1 MW

IEA - PV Roadmap, Greater than 1 MW

DOE Solar America, Residential Solar

DOE Solar America, Commercial Solar

Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Size not specified

Inst

alle

d Co

st, $

/W

Legend

Market Dynamics, Part 2Re-alignment of energy cost dynamics

Solar Prices in NC are DroppingNC Actual & Projected Solar Cost (LCOE)

Source: NC Utilities Commission; “Levelized Cost of Solar PV in NC, 2012” report by NCSEANote: Systems of 10 kW or less are assumed to have residential ownership for tax purposes.

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Social and Environmental Impacts:Partnering with the Community

• Counties (building and electrical permits)

• NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (land and water)

• NC Department of Transportation (driveways)

• Economic and Work Force Development and others

• Community colleges• Local contractors• Farmers and businesses

Source: Strata Solar, Kings Mountain, 5 MW Ground Mounted Solar PV

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Protecting Waterways:Measures Ensuring the Natural Environment

• Riparian buffers to intercept surface runoff and subsurface flow of nonpoint source pollution such as nitrogen and phosphorous

• Log rainfall around site and check for excess turbidity

• Silt fence/weir around the property to stabilize the land

• Rock check dam to reduce erosionSource: NC Wildlife Resources Commission

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Protecting the Land:Measures Ensuring the Natural Environment

• Native grasses and clover for low-maintenance ground cover

• Partnering with the Agricultural Extension Offices and using local labor for planting

• If spraying for weeds, avoiding waterways

• Double cropping between rows

• Sheep once a week

Rye Grass

Fescue Grass Durana Clover

White Dutch Clover

Native plants help to retain water and soil and stabilize the land, promoting natural and native animals and insect species (e.g. a native quail nests in native grasses)

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Double Cropping: Piedmont Biofuels & Southern Energy Management

Pittsboro, NCFrom protecting tomatoes from rain (tomatoes do better if only their roots are fed), through shading cooler weather crops like salad and arugula, to providing support for trellises and other crop infrastructure—Sami Grover

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Livestock: A Symbiotic Relationship at SAS

SAS Institute, Cary, NC

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Protecting the Land Part 2:Measures Ensuring the Natural Environment

• Geo studies on the soil to determine if it can support pile-driving; using concrete as little as possible (e.g. inverter pads)

• Disturb as little land as possible

• Leaves as much existing ground cover as possible

• Agriculture is known to be more damaging to the soil than solar farms

Source: REP Energy

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Protecting the Land Part 3:Measures Ensuring the Natural Environment

• Working with the Department of Transportation when a temporary road touches another major road

• Temporary roads can be plastic laydowns instead of gravel

• Leave as much existing ground cover as possible

Source: 123rf

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Social Benefits of Solar PV

• A use for underused or no longer arable land

• A net tax benefit through taxable infrastructure that does not burden existing infrastructure

• Job-creation and training/certification in often rural areas

• It helps farmers: Out of over 7,000 U.S. farms who responded to the 2009 USDA On-Farm Census stating they utilize solar energy, North Carolina had 104 farms with solar, 67 with PV panels; 55 with solar thermal panels

• It saves businesses and residents money: Over the last decade, utility electricity prices have risen by 3% per year, while the cost of solar PV continues to decrease (30% in North Carolina from 2007—2011, according to the North Carolina Utilities Commission Docket Filings)

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North Carolina: State of Solar PV

Solar PV is an opportunity for individuals, businesses, and the environment!

by Miriam MakyhounSolar & Renewable Energy Industry SpecialistNC Sustainable Energy Associationmiriam@energync.org919-832-7601 x114

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