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modirt 
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Joined: 18 Jul 2018
Location: Missouri
Points: 8242
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 Topic: Solar Panel Site
Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 9:42am |
Have noticed a curious bit of construction going lately. Turns out it is a solar panel site.....situated on about 5 acres of land.....but not just any land. It is land that fronts to an I-70 access road about 1 mile east of the city limits of Columbia. Land that may be valued somewhere in the range of $20k to $30k per acre. Not sure how that scours as best use of the land when if the same thing were moved 5 miles down the road, where sun shines the same, land cost would be half that or less.
But what seems curious to me is the construction. Panels are about 12' wide, but are separated by open driveways, each also about 12' apart. Presumably that is for access to get to the panels to service them, but why not simply elevate the panels and drive under them? That way you double up the surface area of the panels to double output on same amount of expensive land?
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
Points: 33172
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Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 10:57am |
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Need to be able to walk between them to Wash Them. Not good enough to just spray with a water cleaning solution, HAS to be cleaned rinsed and SQUEEGEE'D to remove any possible contaminates that will impede delivery. Next problem of them revealed, HAVE to be cleaned RELIGIOUSLY at least monthly, some regions WEEKLY.
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
Points: 33172
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Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 11:00am |
This is AMEREN's test project Solar, aside O'Fallon MO on Google Maps. Has a PERMANENT staff of five to keep them cleaned and maintained as weather affects them OFTEN. 1.1mw at Full capacity, roughly 5 hours per day. Which BTW it is now a MAJOR embarrassment to the Upper Echelon expense wise(Five times fossil per kwh).
Edited by DMiller - 02 Feb 2021 at 11:08am
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AC7060IL
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Joined: 19 Aug 2012
Location: central IL
Points: 3481
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Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 11:17am |
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Maybe the wrong application for the dusty Midwest?
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tadams(OH)
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Joined: 17 Sep 2009
Location: Jeromesville, O
Points: 10645
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Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 12:27pm |
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I seen a solar farm in Flordia a couple years ago when we went driving past it.
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steve(ill)
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: illinois
Points: 85776
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Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 12:31pm |
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also those panels are HEAVY... The access road is to drive a bucket truck and crane between the rows to install / remove panels as needed ( new or damaged).
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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HaroldOmaha
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Omaha
Points: 862
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Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 7:56pm |
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These things are known to fry a lot of birds flying close over them.
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shameless dude
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Joined: 10 Apr 2017
Location: east NE
Points: 13607
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Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 8:00pm |
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state of IA has several solar sites along the interstates, they take up the room that would usually be waste ground for the state, said they power the rest areas.
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Mikez
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Joined: 16 Jan 2013
Location: Usa
Points: 8621
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Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 9:19pm |
I have not seen anyone clean the ones all around our area. One big site was put in and after one winter they all frost heaved and were falling over. Wounded who paid for that mistake
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
Points: 33172
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Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 4:41am |
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Originally the sites I have witnessed around MO were well attended, now they seem to be left to nature almost in a I Told You So move to prove they are a foolish game. Previous employer was given Truck Loads of Grant money to fund research projects of Wind and Solar generation. More fodder to the Big elites pocketbooks. Solar cells on the Home office building roof downtown STL barely are able to keep backup DC Systems for the computers functionally charged, and cover the entire building roof.
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allisbred
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Joined: 28 Mar 2015
Location: Hanover Pa
Points: 1011
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Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 5:19am |
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This is a very sore subject where I live just outside of Gettysburg pa. Several thousand acres of farm land is dedicated to solar fields now. Zoning was changed, hidden from residents while it was happening. The fields will supply power for Philadelphia which is several hundred miles away from here. The contractors will only be responsible for ~20 years of maintenance and then my guess will go under at the end of the term. Vegetation grows fairly rapid due to the amount of rain and I would think needs to be sprayed frequently. The local residents are not being told how this will be handled. I keep trying to way it out in my head if I’d rather see houses or solar fields— only protection I guess is to own the land myself which is not possible.
Edited by allisbred - 03 Feb 2021 at 5:21am
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ac fleet
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Joined: 12 Jan 2014
Location: Arrowsmith, ILL
Points: 2330
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Posted: 05 Feb 2021 at 4:06pm |
They are trying to put that chit in our neighbor hood,--- they had contracts for a couple hundred acres,---now one of these sites ( 160 some acres) is going up for auction and IF it sells-- company will have to deal with new owner and if he tells them to hit the road----then they are out ----construction would still be 5+ years away so nothing built yet, or even set only on paper so buyer has the option as to which way to go.
Now they are hunting for other sites and so far no takers. ----solar is a rip-off and waste of taxpayers dollars.
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http://machinebuildersnetwork.com/
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Dorix
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Joined: 21 Apr 2020
Location: fox valley
Points: 1022
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Posted: 05 Feb 2021 at 4:18pm |
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The Dutch/Czech gov'ts found that wind/solar requires between 148x-536x more land than nuclear and would cost 4x more. roadtoclimateneutrality.eu
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steve(ill)
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: illinois
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Posted: 05 Feb 2021 at 6:25pm |
Now they are hunting for other sites and so far no takers. ----solar is a rip-off and waste of taxpayers dollars.---
Everything has a place and time... Normally that is determined by COST and EFFICIENCY.. You still cant beat COAL or NUKE.... Maybe in 5 years ? 10 years ? ...........What I see with SOLAR is it can be used by small business or individuals, unlike COAL which takes a POWER PLANT... When they get the COST DOWN for SOLAR where you can install on your house and payback in 4-5 years with a 15 year life, then its TIME HAS COME.
Edited by steve(ill) - 05 Feb 2021 at 6:27pm
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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Coke-in-MN
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Afton MN
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Posted: 07 Feb 2021 at 8:06pm |
Local zoning prohibits solar farms , you can have your own residential on limited buildings but no large arrays on property . Then i see the next township has allowed a couple on farm lands but only small acreage areas . Son has a contract to make some pulling attachments for a solar company where they have to replace the stands the arrays set on as once erected they cant get large equipment in to replace the posts if damaged and needed something small to work around existing units . His puller fits onto skid loader for easy access .
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Faith isn't a jump in the dark. It is a walk in the light. Faith is not guessing; it is knowing something.
"Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."
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allisbred
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Joined: 28 Mar 2015
Location: Hanover Pa
Points: 1011
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Posted: 08 Feb 2021 at 12:25pm |
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Just keep an eye on who’s on that zoning board! Things can change very fast! I thought much like you that I was safe in a farming community. I also thought “OC” for “open country” sounded good... lol.
Edited by allisbred - 08 Feb 2021 at 12:28pm
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ac fleet
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Posted: 09 Feb 2021 at 12:38pm |
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YUP! money under the table rules the world!
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http://machinebuildersnetwork.com/
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
Points: 33172
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Posted: 20 Sep 2023 at 6:19am |
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The ones here my previous employer has installed took up to two years to site prep and construct, the largest is just at 2mw at Peak delivery(around hour and a half per day of good sunshine) and yet took a small town sized piece of ground where cannot deliver more than a subdivision worth of power at Peak. Millions spent and at per mw costs around five times what a base load plant can provide.
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dr p
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Joined: 24 Feb 2019
Location: new york
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Posted: 20 Sep 2023 at 8:45pm |
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In new york state they are going up all over. Little different economic situation. None of the pasture ground has any value and we certainly can't grow 250 bushels corn or 100 bushel beans. So a lot of guys who are struggling are taking the money. I think there may be a place for them here if you are willing to take the money now and wait for total corporate screw job in the future.
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HudCo
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Joined: 29 Jan 2013
Location: Plymouth Utah
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Posted: 20 Sep 2023 at 10:01pm |
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they are doing one whole section of ground by me and trying to lease two more sections of farm ground for them ugly looking things not to happy about that
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orangeman
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Posted: 05 Oct 2023 at 7:18am |
Solar panel farms are being built here in the U.S. due to the Feds and State providing subsidized loans and grants - ( i.e. our tax dollars) to prop up the industry! Much like many other subsidized programs. Follow the money and see!
Orangeman
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steve(ill)
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Location: illinois
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Posted: 05 Oct 2023 at 7:54am |
local power company (CO-OP) built a small wind mill 10 years ago.. When people questioned it, i remember the Manager saying... "Well the FED is paying 50% and the State/ Local are paying another 20%.. and that makes it ALMOST economical".. 
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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Tbone95
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Joined: 31 Aug 2012
Location: Michigan
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Posted: 05 Oct 2023 at 9:17am |
 HudCo wrote:
they are doing one whole section of ground by me and trying to lease two more sections of farm ground for them ugly looking things not to happy about that |
My biggest by far landlord retired from farming 3 years ago, slowed down some the 2 years before that. He’s taking away 92 acres from me and having solar panels installed. He’s taking away 100’s from others as well. Sort of blows my mind that someone like him, family legacy of farming around here of well over 100 years is “almost permanently” taking productive, flat, square, drained, accessible land out of agriculture like that. My own personal losses aside, very sad to see. Money talks. Farm activity can’t compete with the solar fad on the same economic level.
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