What are solar farms?
A solar farm, sometimes referred to as a solar park, is a large-scale ground based solar installation that runs autonomously, much like natural gas power plants do. These installations consist of hundreds, even thousands of photovoltaic (PV) panels spread across large areas of land that convert the sun’s energy into electricity.
The panels absorb the sun’s energy all day and focus it on multiple solar cells comprised of silicon that are equipped with both a positive and a negative layer to create an electrical field. The PV panels collect both direct and scattered sunlight to generate a direct electrical current that will then be used for battery storage or converted into an alternating current by an inverter. This alternating current will then make the voyage through a substation to either be transmitted over large distances at high voltage or distributed to homes and businesses alike at a lower voltage.
What are the benefits of solar farms?
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY: Possibly the most highly valued benefit of solar farms is its propensity as a fantastic and reliable source of zero-carbon emitting power. Without the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity, solar farms are an excellent source of natural energy that fits within the current framework of new clean power standards, thus helping usher in the a greener future. These utility-scale farms can be used every day of the year and act as a key player in reducing the overall carbon footprint of the country.
SUSTAINABLE: Land used for solar farms can be used for more than just harvesting sunshine. The thousands of acres of panel-filled land also make excellent habitats for flora and fauna. Solar farms built elevated on grasslands can provide ideal circumstances for animals to graze amongst the panels and create a safe environment for wildlife to thrive. Farmers are also able to utilize the land beneath the panels for growing crops. An impressive and diverse number of crops find the ground under the solar canopies ideal for growing. Plants such as wheat, Swiss chard, tomatoes, beans, potatoes and kale have shown great growth in these solar farm conditions.
QUIET: One important factor regarding solar farms is that they do not involve any moving parts, which means there is almost no noise generated and is therefore minimally disruptive to the local environment. Unlike their noisy fossil-fuel counterparts, solar’s lack of noise pollution allows for a plethora of site location options on which they can be built upon,
GREAT INVESTMENT: Solar energy has a high return on investment, especially when it comes to your monthly electricity bill. Utilizing our sun’s natural resources gives way to low production and maintenance costs, thus creating a more affordable source of energy for consumers everywhere. In addition, recent policy changes and tax incentives provide further reductions in solar farm construction/production costs, making it possible for more solar farms to be built and contribute to the electrical grid.
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About Bridgelink Engineering
Bridgelink Engineering is a self-performing turnkey engineering, procurement, and construction company that has built a reputation for excellence in the renewable energy industry, most notably in wind, solar and battery storage. Bridgelink prides itself on providing comprehensive, multi-discipline solutions and continues to develop large scale renewable wind and solar projects across the United States.
For more information please visit our website at www.bridgelinkengineering.com, email info@bridgelinkengineering.com or call us at 682-816-5006.
