Solar panels are made of natural materials (mostly silicon, which comes from sand) that turn sunlight into electricity. When sunlight hits the panel, it causes tiny particles (electrons) to move, creating an electric current. This process is called the “photovoltaic effect.”[1]
Solar projects provide numerous benefits to the communities in which they are sited. Solar projects represent significant local investments. Solar projects also provide steady annual property tax payments to local taxing jurisdictions, which allow county and local officials to make long-term financial plans and increase spending on public services and other critically important infrastructure.
They also pay landowners through lease payments, which can help farms and families have more stable income. Large projects create many jobs during construction and support additional local jobs through spending on materials, services and lodging.
Yes. We use crystalline silicon panels whose primary component is silicon (sand) which is the second most common element found on earth. Furthermore, the components are sealed in tempered glass and polymer sealants. In fact, encapsulation remains intact even when panels are crushed under 50 tons of force in landfill-simulation tests. In normal use, solar panels do not release chemicals into the air or water. The materials are sealed inside glass and an aluminum frame. In the extremely rare event of breakage or fire, studies also show that crystalline silicon solar panels do not pose a danger to the environment or human health.
Solar facilities must meet strict electrical and fire safety standards. National codes and local building requirements cover how systems are designed and installed, and these standards help ensure safe operation.[5]
No. First there are very little to no chemicals in solar panels. Secondly, the panels are designed to provide decades of worry-free operations. Solar panels are encapsulated between two layers of transparent plastic to prevent exposure to the ambient air and moisture. These encapsulation layers are further protected with a thin layer of semi-tempered glass on the front and a polymer sheet on the back. These materials are well tested. For decades, this same material has been used between layers of tempered glass to give car windshields and hurricane windows their great strength, allowing them to stay intact, even if damage occurs.
Solar panels are designed to absorb sunlight and turn it into electricity—not reflect it like roads or rooftops. Studies suggest that in some dry areas with no to very little vegetation, a large solar site may warm the air nearby by a few degrees, but the effect fades quickly within a few feet above and 100 feet away from project facilities.[9] This increase is primarily driven by not having plants and other objects to absorb the heat from the sun as solar power plants themselves do not generate heat to produce power. Our projects include access roads, native vegetation, and vegetative buffers which studies suggest should mitigate any small temperature changes.
No. Property value studies conducted across the country have found that proximity to large-scale solar projects does not measurably impact property values or make it harder to sell nearby farm or residential land.[11]
• A Minnesota county assessor reviewed sales near a 1,000-acre solar farm and concluded there was “no adverse impact” on property values. Many nearby properties sold for more than their assessed value.[12]
• A 2021 review of solar farms in Ohio and other states found no negative impact on home values or nearby farmland values. It also noted that some of the positive implications expressed by people living next to solar farms include protection from future residential developments or other intrusive uses, reduced dust, odor and chemicals from former farming operations, protection from light pollution at night, it’s quiet and there’s minimal traffic.[13]
• A North Carolina study of 451 solar farms found no direct negative impact on nearby agricultural land values. It also found small value increases in some cases, especially for land near transmission infrastructure.[14]
Solar projects also benefit the wider community through investment and tax revenue that supports roads, schools, and local services without raising residents’ taxes while using minimal public services—which are factors that can positively influence property values.[15]
Solar panels are designed to absorb light and make electricity, not reflect it. The panels we plan to use have anti-reflective coatings to reduce glare and help them blend in with the surroundings.
If a solar project is located within five miles of an airport, the developer must notify the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) so the agency can conduct a formal glint‑and‑glare analysis.
This is done through the FAA’s Obstruction Evaluation / Airport Airspace Analysis (OE/AAA) process, which uses the ForgeSolar/SGHAT modeling tool to evaluate potential glare impacts to pilots on approach or departure, air traffic control towers and airport ground personnel.
The FAA reviews the modeling results and issues a determination. For utility‑scale solar, these analyses almost always show no hazardous glare, because modern panels are engineered to absorb light, not reflect it.
Our projects use a solar panel tracking system, allowing the reflective surfaces to align with the sun as it moves across the sky. When it rains, water runs off the panels and soaks into the native groundcover. Any extra water leaves the site as stormwater runoff, similar to what happens in the land’s current use.
We develop a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) in accordance with stormwater regulations, which are designed to prevent erosion, control runoff, and protect downstream creeks and wetlands. A SWPPP requires:
• A detailed erosion and sediment control plan
• Regular inspections by trained personnel
• Documentation of all stormwater controls
• Immediate correction of any issues
• Protection of downstream waterways
During construction, we implement a full suite of Best Management Practices, including silt fencing, rock check dams, stabilized construction entrances, temporary sediment traps, and the rapid revegetation of disturbed areas.
Solar projects are required to install engineered stormwater basins designed by civil engineers and reviewed under state standards. These basins are permanent and are inspected and maintained throughout the project’s life.
A completed solar site, with full vegetation and engineered stormwater basins, often results in less erosion and cleaner runoff than the land’s previous use.
Parliament will seed the site to establish strong native ground cover and stabilize the soil. We mainly manage vegetation through the use of sheep grazing under the panels instead of regular mowing or widespread pesticide use.[23] Vegetation is kept at a height that won’t interfere with panels or electrical equipment.
We work with Texans by Nature to ensure we plant native grasses and flowers and use local supply houses for our seed.
We also work with Hives for Heroes,[24] a nonprofit dedicated to pollinator conservation and helping veterans and first responders, to establish pollinator habitats at its project locations.
We will follow a Vegetation Management Plan that explains how we will keep plants under control for safe operation. Our main method of vegetation management is solar grazing—sheep graze under the panels instead of regular mowing or widespread pesticide use.[25] In some situations, limited herbicide use may be needed for specific problem plants, based on site conditions and landowner input. We are committed to using appropriate methods in a way that helps protect people and the environment.
Solar panels are typically designed to last 35+ years, and many manufacturers provide performance guarantees backed by warranties.[26] Like many other durable products and construction materials, solar equipment can last for decades with proper maintenance, of which they require very little due to the presence of very few, if any, moving parts.[27] Proper operations and maintenance can increase efficiency, extend a project’s lifetime, and ensure safety.[28] Prior to construction, we develop and implement an Operations and Maintenance Plan based on industry best practices and site-specific environmental conditions.
We are responsible for decommissioning and plan for it. Standard practices include taking equipment apart and then reusing, recycling, or properly disposing of materials, followed by restoring the land to its original condition.
We will put a decommissioning and restoration plan in place that outlines the various ways in which we will safely and responsibly remove installed equipment and restore the property within the project area to its original condition at the end of the project’s life. In addition, we will post a decommissioning bond to ensure the host community and landowners will bear no responsibility for decommissioning or restoration.
Often times, the salvage value of the raw materials exceed the cost to decommission.
Solar panels are made mostly of common materials like glass, aluminum, copper, plastics, and semiconductor materials.[29] Recycling technologies have been put in place over the last decade that have been shown to recover over 95% of semiconductor materials and over 90% of the glass in the panel.[30]
Other raw materials like copper, aluminum and steel found in the other materials are also recycled.
A solar project also includes other typical power plant electrical equipment, such as inverters (to change the electricity from DC to AC), transformers (to raise the voltage so it can travel on power lines), underground cables, power lines, and a substation.
Yes. Solar is a reliable energy source and is used in all 50 states.[2] Solar projects produce electricity most days of the year—even when it’s cloudy. In some cases, cooler temperatures and passing clouds can actually help panels work efficiently.
No power source runs 100% of the time (including coal, gas, and nuclear power). Solar output changes with daylight and weather, but it is highest during the daytime—when electricity use is often highest. Solar production is predictable, and grid operators are experienced at balancing different power sources as conditions change.[3]
Panel supports and anchors are designed for strong winds. The panels we source are tested to handle hailstones up to 2 inches wide (at about 50 mph) and winds up to 150 mph.
The trackers we select include “stow” protection. In high winds, panels can move the solar panels to a horizontal position to reduce wind exposure. During hail, they can move the solar panels to a more vertical position to reduce the chance of damage. We monitor weather up to 50 miles away along with having weather towers on site help track conditions, and the system automatically moves the solar panels to the correct position if a storm is moving in. After a storm, the panels return to their previous positions.
The panels are designed for decades of worry-free operation, as they are encapsulated between two layers of transparent plastic to prevent exposure to the ambient air and moisture. These encapsulation layers are further protected with a thin layer of semi-tempered glass.
Yes. Solar projects generate electricity without burning fossil fuels, so they don’t release air pollution like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, or soot. Building any power plant takes energy, but a typical large solar project “pays back” its construction footprint within the first year of operations or less, allowing them to produce decades of zero-emission energy.[8]
Solar facilities are generally quiet. The main sound comes from electrical equipment like inverters, which sound similar to a truck idling nearby. Sound levels drop quickly as you move farther away, resulting in lower noise levels at the project boundary. Further, our projects are designed to meet state and local noise limits. Inverters are typically centralized and not located near project boundaries. Their location, along with appropriate buffering will mitigate any sound from the inverters being heard outside the project area.
Solar projects can work well alongside farming and grazing. Over the project’s life (often around 35 years), the land under and around the panels can recover, which may help improve soil health over time. Parliament sources local seed mixes and native vegetation to grow under the panels, allowing the land to retain water and topsoil and improving soil health over time, which can increase the productivity and value of the land for agriculture and grazing in the future.[16]
We also graze sheep on our sites to manage vegetation. Instead of mowing or heavy pesticide use, sheep graze under the panels.[17] Parliament also works with Hives for Heroes,[18] a nonprofit dedicated to pollinator conservation and helping veterans and first responders, to establish pollinator habitats at its project locations.
When the project reaches the end of its useful life, it is decommissioned and the land can be returned to its previous use.[19]
When planned and built carefully, a solar facility is expected to have minimal impacts on local wildlife. Studies show solar sites can even provide shelter, support stable soils, and help maintain habitat when native vegetation is planted and maintained.[20] Year-round ground cover can benefit species such as ground-nesting birds and pollinators.
To understand potential impacts, we conduct environmental studies of habitat and wildlife in the project area, including but not limited to: Aquatic Resource Delineation, Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, Bat Habitat Assessment, and Bald Eagle Nest Survey.
These studies inform the project design and construction activities so that wildlife and their habitat may be avoided. We also work with leading environmental firms to conduct weekly compliance inspections during construction to ensure we meet regulations and best practices.
Once built, solar projects produce electricity without ongoing pollution or emissions. With native plants under and around the panels, the site can provide habitat for plants and animals to thrive.[21]
Fires involving ground-mounted solar panels are uncommon. Equipment is tested for safety and, when properly installed and maintained, does not pose added health or environmental risks during normal operation. We also manage vegetation to keep grass at a safe height beneath the panels.
Prior to operation, we develop an Emergency Response Plan in accordance with industry best practices, which will outline the response procedures to be employed should an emergency arise at the project site. We work closely and collaboratively with the local departments and authorities. We provide pre-construction training to all emergency response personnel, which includes a description of the facility, any potential construction risks, and the role of emergency responders should an incident occur.
During construction, we host the emergency response personnel for site visits and simulations to make sure they are familiar with the system and our Emergency Response Plan.
Solar panels do not need water to produce electricity. The main water use is usually during construction for dust control, as needed. Water may come from a public supply or from nearby ponds, depending on what is available.
In many parts of the U.S., rainfall is often enough to help keep panels clean, which reduces the need for washing.[22]
The project will be monitored by onsite staff during operating hours. It will also be monitored remotely 24/7.
Yes. Safety is our absolute top priority, and we coordinate closely with local fire and emergency response teams.
Prior to operation, we develop an Emergency Response Plan in accordance with industry best practices. The plan outlines the response procedures to be employed should an emergency arise at the project site. We provide pre-construction training to all emergency response personnel, which includes a description of the project, any potential construction risks, and the role of emergency responders should an incident occur. During construction, we host the emergency response personnel for site visits and simulations to make sure they are familiar with the system and our Emergency Response Plan.
Yes. Access roads are designed so emergency vehicles can reach the site. Roads are planned with appropriate width, load capacity, turnarounds, and gates that can be accessed by emergency responders. We communicate with local emergency service providers and share copies of the Security Plan and Safety Response Plan.
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