Calculate Your Solar System Size
Youre almost there! Youll know how many solar panels your hog farm can use in just two more steps.
For this step, youll need two numbers from previous steps:
Your average kWh you want to produce per month Your hog farms average direct sunlight hours per day
The math looks like this:
kWh per month / = kW solar system
For example, suppose you want to produce 3000 kWh per month on average and your farm gets 5 hours of sunlight per day.
That would be 3000/, which is 3000 divided by 150, which equals 20.
So this particular hog farm would be looking for about a 20kW solar energy system.
If you wanted to produce 2500 kWh, or 3500, just change that first number in the calculation. This is where step 3 comes in. That step is where you decided how much power you want to produce, the percentage of your bill you want to replace with solar power.
If you use 3000 kWh per month but want to produce 75% of your power from solar, you would want a system that produces 2250 kWh per month. 2250 divided 150 equals a 15 kW solar system.
Got it?
Others Cost To Raise A Solar Farm Include
All the costs related to compliance with regulations and obtaining the permits for developing and constructing the solar farm.
The cost of the survey that must be done by expertise will have a high-cost rate per hour.
Cost of hiring people for preparing all the documentation required to comply with all the different parties involved.
Average Cost Per Watt
Though cost per watt may vary depending on factors such as sunlight availability, access to infrastructure, and lease rates for the land, as a good rule-of-thumb the installation of large-scale solar farms costs about $1 per watt. That means for a utility-scale farm producing 1MW , the average initial investment would be $1,000,000. A farm of this scale would generate enough electricity to power around 200 households per year, and may require 4-5 acres of space. However, other sources state that the cost per watt may reach upwards of $2.50, making a 1MW farm cost about $2,500,000.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Solar Farms
How profitable is a solar farm?
The profitability of a solar farm varies substantially based on its size and the cost of electricity in the area where its built. You can estimate the potential profitability of a solar farm by multiplying the average wholesale market rate of solar electricity in your area by the farms size . Just be sure to account for the upfront and maintenance costs associated with the farm or if youre renting land in your solar calculations as well.
Are solar farms bad?
While solar farms are effective forms of renewable energy, the construction and installation of them can have a negative impact on the environment due to the space needed for a solar farm, the materials and energy required to produce solar panels, how to dispose of solar panels when they are replaced and even contaminated groundwater due to the maintenance requirements of a solar panel farm. When constructed properly, however, solar farms can be completely safe for the environment especially if theyre constructed on landfills or other types of land that arent pristine.
How much electricity does one acre of solar panels produce?
This is largely dependent on the efficiency of the solar panels, the geographical location, and the amount of sunlight the panels are exposed to. Landowners and companies that maintain a solar panel farm can expect several hundred MWh/year for one acre of solar panels.
How do solar farms look?
Area Needed For The Construction Of A 5 Mw Solar Energy Power Plant In India
Before setting up a Solar Plant, it is necessary to investigate the size of land required for its construction.
- Solar Plants require considerable space because large arrays of photovoltaic panels need to be exposed to sunlight.
- Solar Power Plants occupy at least 5 acres of land per 1 MW output, which means for generating 5 MW energy, an area of 25 acres is required.
But choosing the location is not enough. Legal authorization is also required to develop the project. Moreover, your project must be approved by environmental, safety, health, etc., bodies.
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Siting Permitting & Land Use For Utility
Harnessing the suns energy and converting it to electricity offers one of the most technologically viable and cost-effective means to produce pollution-free, sustainable power. Generating electricity at the scale necessary to achieve ambitious carbon emission reduction goals requires long-term planning for efficient and responsible project development.
Responsible Land Use
There is tremendous solar power generation potential in the United States. In five minutes, enough sunlight shines on the continental U.S. to satisfy our electricity demand for an entire month. The U.S. Southwest has particularly abundant and high quality resources for utility-scale solar power. Research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows that the entire U.S. could be powered by utility-scale solar occupying just 0.6% of the nationâs land mass.
Depending on the specific technology, a utility-scale solar power plant may require between 5 and 10 acres per megawatt of generating capacity. Like fossil fuel power plants, solar plant development requires some grading of land and clearing of vegetation. For example, many concentrating solar power plants need to be constructed on flat land with less than 1-percent slope. Utility-scale photovoltaics , on the other hand, can utilize land with steeper slopes and no water access.
Resources on Land Use & Solar Development
- Factsheets
New Prospects For Agriculture
Fabian Karthaus is planning on expanding his solar field in the future. At the moment, his berries grow under 0.4 hectares of solar panels. I would like to expand this to an area of 8 or 10 hectares, then it will really be worthwhile.
However, Karthaus will have to be patient. So far, he says, the expansion is still cumbersome for farmers in Germany.
But he hopes that will change soon. And he is already advising other farmers to definitely start dealing with the topic, even if it still takes a while to implement in their own fields.
This article was adapted from German.
Double harvest: Solar panels on farms
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How Much Does Large Scale Solar Cost
According to these estimates, a 1 MW solar power plant would cost between $770,000 and $890,000, while a 100 MW plant would cost between 77 million and 89 million dollars. According to these numbers, the cost of solar panel installation will vary from project to project and brand to brand depending on the project size, location, and solar panel brand.
Solar Farm Licensing And Permitting Process
FundsNet notes that all of the necessary approvals, contract, siting and permitting for a solar farm can take 3-5 years to be approved.
This is something that many farm and landowners do not realize, so it is important to plan ahead for this process, which is quite drawn out.
The majority of solar power plants today are located on privately-held land and so the solar power plant process undergoes a strict review by the federal, state, and local regulators.
These processes ensure that the environmental impact to the land and eco-system is minimal.
Once the solar farm is approved, the actual construction and installation only takes a few months.
Once a solar farm is up and running, the maintenance is very low and only needs to be serviced a few times a year.
While the approval process is painfully slow, you will be glad to know that the lifetime maintenance of your solar farm is very low Solar panels degradation rate is fairly slow and most panels will last 25-30 years.
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Are Solar Panels Worth The Investment
Thanks to the lower-than-ever cost of solar panels and various solar incentives, solar panels are a cost-effective investment for the majority of homeowners that will provide an excellent return on investment.
Not only do they lower your energy bills, but you also get to power your home with clean renewable energy and reduce your dependence on your local utility company.
Even though spending up to $20,000 is daunting, federal incentives eliminate 26% of solar system costs after 1 year. There are also various ways to finance a solar system – from solar loans and leases to PPAs – so you can pick whichever option that works best for you.
Plus, solar panels provide significant utility bill savings in most areas. An average home solar panel system can save between $1,000 and $1,600 per year on electricity bills depending on the states net metering policy and the homes energy consumption.
Actual solar savings will depend on the system size, the cost of electricity, home energy usage, and what net metering policies are in place, but the average solar homeowner can expect their solar payback period to be between 8 and 11 years. After that, theyll be enjoying completely free solar electricity for at least 15 more years!
If youre still not convinced, you can use our solar panel calculator to find out how much solar costs and can save you for your specific home based on your average electric usage and prices in your area.
Cost Of Land For Construction Of 5 Mw Solar Plant
- The cost of land comes to Rs.5 Lakhs per acre .
- The estimated land cost is Rs.5 lakhs per acre. Here, a minimum of 5 acres of land is required for a 1 MW plant, which means a 5 MW Solar Power Plant will be Rs. 1 crore 25 lakh.
- The cost of Grid extension can be up to Rs. 15 lakh/km, which depends on the capacity of extension lines . Therefore we can confer that the cost of grid extension is dependent on the distance of the site from the nearest substation.
- An extra amount of Rs. 2 crores is added to the project cost if trackers are used in the power plant.
Therefore, considering all the factors, approximately Rs. 4 crores is required for setting up a 1 MW Solar Plant, which means the estimated cost of 5 MW Solar Plant construction will be Rs. 20 crore.
Profit earned by a 5 MW solar plant in India?
The estimated cost for a 5MW plant would be near about 34.5 to 35 crores in India. Hence, with 20k â 20.5k units of electricity daily, Rs.45,000 to 60,000 can be generated. Accordingly, after excluding the minor O& M expenses, a total of Rs 1.75 crores approx. can be made after a year.
A 5 MW Solar Plant would make 6000 MWh per year due to the national average of four peak sun hours per day. So it can be said that a 5 MW Solar Plant can lead to annual revenue of about Rs. 1.5 â 1.75 crores per year.
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How Much Money Can You Make With A Solar Farm
In terms of revenue, you can earn in the ballpark of $40,000 per year by selling the electricity from a 1 MW solar farm.
Heres an explanation of how solar farms generate revenue.
Utility-scale solar farms sell their power by entering Purchase-Power Agreements for their generation on the wholesale electricity market. This can be done using electricity marketplaces such as LevelTen Energy.
According to LevelTen Energys P25 index, in Q4 2019, solar power traded at $27.40 per MWh. .
Based on the national average of four peak sun hours per day, we know that the average 1 MW solar farm would make 1,460 MWh per year. That means that the average 1 MW solar farm can expect an annual revenue of roughly $40,000 per year.
These, of course, are just average figures, and will vary based on factors such as solar power production in your area and the going rate for solar generation in the wholesale market.
Moreover, do note that there are wide variations in PPA values based on the wholesale electricity prices in your Regional Transmission Organization area.
Canadas Best And Worst For Solar Energy
- The best provinces for producing solar energy in Canada are all located on the prairies: Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
This is because these provinces have relatively sunny weather all year around.
- The worst province for producing solar energy in Canada Newfoundland and Labrador, while the worst territory is the Yukon.
This is primarily because of high annual cloud cover in Newfoundland and Labrador, and a combination of high latitude and cloudy weather in the Yukon.
- The best place in Canada for producing solar power is Torquay, Saskatchewan , while the worst place is at the small research base located in Eureka, Nunavut .
- The best month for producing solar energy in Canada is April when days are mid-length and skies are clear. The worst month for producing solar energy in Canada is December when days are short.
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Scope Of Solar Power In India
India is a developing country and its population is increasing day by day. It is expected that India becomes the worlds most populated country by 2022. India provides a positive environment among investors keen to tap into Indias potential. India has a long way to go in the sector of solar energy.
In near future, India will explore new potential areas and ensure the maximum use of solar power get world leadership. The National Institution of Solar Energy in India has determined the countrys solar power potential at around 750 GW. India is slowly going to get its dominion in the field of solar power generation due to the ambitious state and centers solar policies and projects.
Nowadays India starts switching to solar energy that is one of the best financial decisions in todays world. As we can see the prices of fossil and fuels are increasing day by day so this is a perfect alternative to this problem. Although, India has huge scope in the field of solar energy in near future because solar power for home and industries are a cheap source of clean energy and secondly, it is available widely across the country without any interruption.
How Close Is The Property To A Utility Grid
Being close to a utility grid network contributes significantly to the income you get per acre of a solar farm. It will even decide if your property will be used for such a project. Certain properties are far removed from grid utilities such as accessible roads among others.
A solar will easily get disinterested when theres no sign of such provisions. It is also highly unlikely that they will build such utilities due to the cost implications.
These are considerations to be made in determining the income per acre a solar farm will fetch a property owner. We have also provided an earning range and explained those factors which determine what you get or may not get. A solar farm project might not even take off if your property isnt suitable for such.
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Security Cost For Solar Farm
One of the most important aspects to consider when you are building a solar farm is to consider all the costs related to implementing a high level of security.
Some of the considerations that you might take into account when building a solar farm are:
- CCTV Systems
- Monitor throw active alarms and sirens
- Laser activated lighting
- Manned security station
The main goal of having a high-security level of protection on a solar farm is to protect it from people entering it and damaging all the farm panels.
A rough estimation of the cost that you might face for 1 acre of the solar farm is around $20.00 to $85,000 if you decide to fit your solar farm with the latest technology available.
Types Of Solar Farms: Utility
There are two main types of solar farms around the country: utility-scale solar farms and community solar farms. The main difference between the two is their customers, as utility-scale solar farms sell directly to utilities, while community solar farms sell directly to end-consumers of electricity, such as homeowners and renters.
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How Much Do Solar Panels Save
Switching to a solar energy system could potentially cut your energy bill by 75%. The savings you and your family see will depend greatly on where you live, what the climate is like and your particular energy needs. For instance, an average homeowner in Portland, Oregon, will see total savings of $38,000, whereas a homeowner in Los Angeles could save as much as $90,000 over 20 years.
Many solar energy companies provide a free calculator tool to help you easily estimate the cost and savings of installing solar panels on your home. Different solar calculators may estimate electricity costs in different ways. Numbers can be based on the national average, regional averages or other information you provide.
The average American electric bill is between $100 and $200 per month, and the average yearly energy cost is about $1,500. Depending on how much you pay out-of-pocket for the solar panel system, it could take five to 15 years to break even. To calculate how long it will take you to break even on savings versus the cost of your solar panels, first subtract your incentives and rebates from your costs. Divide that number by the amount you are saving on utility bills per year.
Even if your solar panels generate 100% of your electricity needs, you may still receive a utility bill. However, instead of asking for payments, you will get net metering credits for the month.
