Solar power is now one of the cheapest new sources of electricity in most of the world due to declining equipment costs, improved technologies, and public policy supporting the procurement of renewable energy across the country.¹

In the last decade, the cost to install solar has dropped by more than 40%.² According to Lazard’s Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis – Version 17.0 (2023), even without tax credits, new solar resources have a levelized cost of energy in the range of 2.9¢/kWh – 9.2¢/kWh for large-scale solar. This range falls below the levelized cost of energy for new coal or gas combined cycle power production.³  These results have been bolstered by the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2020,⁴ which found that “Solar PV and wind are now the cheapest sources of electricity in most markets.”⁵

Adding to the growing appeal, solar energy is uniquely able to offer electricity at a fixed-price contract over the life of the project. Solar energy has no fuel cost and therefore no fuel price risk, allowing it to act as a hedge against future volatility of natural gas prices.⁶

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are constructed of silicon, tempered glass, electrical wiring, and a metal frame. Silicon, an element most commonly found in sand, has conductive properties that allow it to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity. When light interacts with a silicon cell, it causes electrons to be set into motion, which initiates a flow of electric current in a process known as the “photovoltaic effect”.⁷

Solar power is a reliable source of energy, with solar projects being installed in all 50 states across the US.⁸ New York State, which has a considerable amount of solar potential, has consistently been in the top 10 US solar markets and is projected to install 4,367 megawatts (MW) over the next five years, all above the 40th parallel.⁹

A solar project will produce power most days of the year, even under cloudy conditions, and in some cases, clouds can result in better panel performance. Further, a recent industry trend is the use of bifacial solar panels, which have solar cells that capture sunlight from the front of the panel as well as sunlight that is reflected off the ground. These panels have been shown to yield 11% more energy than standard solar panels in a tilted, ground-mounted solar installation.¹⁰ We have measured and analyzed over a year of on-site solar and weather data in the project area to confirm that the solar resource in South Ripley can support solar project operations, with production estimates at least 500% higher than what has been claimed in some public comments. Repsol Renewables North America is contractually bound to the anticipated production estimates through its REC contract with NYSERDA.

No electricity source runs 100% of the time, including coal, gas, and nuclear plants. While solar is variable as a power resource, its variability can be predictably forecast and used to complement other generation sources. Grid operators have decades of experience managing changes in supply and demand, including the gradual, predictable changes in solar output.¹¹

Other project infrastructure present at a solar project includes common electrical equipment such as inverters and transformers, and the electrical equipment necessary to deliver energy to the existing electrical grid such as underground and overhead transmission lines.

Yes. Solar panel materials are enclosed with glass and do not mix with water or vaporize into the air, so there is little to no risk of chemicals, including greenhouse gases, being released into the environment during normal use. Crystalline silicon PV panels, an extremely common type of solar panel used around the world, “do not pose a material risk of toxicity to public health and safety.”¹²

Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF) are present everywhere in our environment, including TV antennas, radio signals, Wi-Fi, cell phones, and common household appliances.¹³ EMF emissions from solar panel systems are non-ionizing and in the same extremely low frequency range as those induced by household appliances.¹⁴

All solar facilities are designed to strict electrical safety standards to ensure safe operation. Product safety standards, installation requirements, and building codes for solar facilities are addressed by the National Fire Protection Agency’s National Electrical Code, the International Code Council’s International Fire Code, the International Association of Firefighters, and several other national, state and local safety and product standards groups.¹⁵

The construction of the South Ripley Solar Project will not require toxic chemicals or processes. PV panels typically consist of glass, aluminum, copper, silver, and semiconductor materials than can be successfully recovered and reused. Solar panel materials are enclosed with glass and do not mix with water or vaporize into the air, so there is little to no risk of chemicals, including greenhouse gases, being released into the environment during normal use. Crystalline silicon PV panels, which represent approximately 90% of the solar panels in use today, “do not pose a material risk of toxicity to public health and safety.”¹⁶

In addition, to provide decades of corrosion-free operation, panels – like the ones that will be used for the South Ripley Solar Project – are encapsulated from air and moisture between two layers of plastic. The encapsulation layers are further protected with a layer of tempered glass on the front and a polymer sheet on the back. 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 projects are designed with lightning protection on all system components, which protect against damage in the event of a lightning strike. The ground grid will be designed in consideration of the conductivity of soils in the area as well as any other nearby conductive materials that are buried or connected to the ground, such as water or natural gas pipes.

Temporary, elevated noise levels may occur during the construction phase of a solar project, but once construction is complete, an operating solar project emits minimal noise during the day and is dormant at night. As part of its Article VIII application filing, Repsol Renewables submitted a detailed study of the potential noise impacts associated with the construction and operation of the facility. The results of the study assessed expected noise levels, and also proposed noise limits, which will minimize and mitigate adverse impacts associated with construction and operation of the South Ripley Solar Project. In addition, Repsol Renewables is committed to taking steps to minimize and mitigate visual impacts of the project through vegetative buffers and setbacks from property lines, which will provide additional sound dampening benefits as well.

No. Property value studies conducted across the country have shown that proximity to large-scale solar projects does not measurably impact property values or deter the sale of agricultural or residential land.¹⁷ For example:

• In 2017, the Chisago County (Minnesota) Assessor’s Office conducted their own study on property prices adjacent to and in the close vicinity of a 1,000 acre North Star solar farm in Minnesota. John Keefe, the Chisago County Assessor, concluded that the North Star solar farm had “no adverse impact” on property values. Almost all of the [Test Area] properties sold were at a price above the assessed value. He further stated that, “It seems conclusive that valuation has not suffered.”¹⁸
• In 2021, Kirkland Appraisals, LLC researched solar farms in Ohio as well as other states, researched studies and articles, and talked with real estate professionals. He found no negative impact in home values due to abutting or adjoining a solar farm, as well as no negative impact to abutting or adjacent agricultural land. He 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.¹⁹
• A study of 451 solar farms in North Carolina found “no direct negative or positive spillover effect of a solar farm construction on nearby agricultural land values. Although there are no direct effects of solar farms on nearby agricultural land values, we do find evidence that suggests construction of a solar farm may create a small, positive, option-value for landowners that is capitalized into land prices. Specifically, after construction of a nearby solar farm, we find that agricultural land that is also located near transmission infrastructure may increase modestly in value.”²⁰

Solar projects are low impact and coexist well with agriculture, operating without any impact to adjacent agricultural properties. During the solar project’s 30 year or more lifespan, the land hosting the project gets a recovery period, allowing the soil to restore fertility and rebuild. Native vegetation can 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 in the future.²¹

Further, Repsol Renewables will have a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), which will outline Repsol Renewables’ plans for sediment and erosion controls to manage both the amount and composition of any stormwater discharged from the project site. There are no anticipated stormwater runoff issues for land hosting or adjacent to panel areas.

At the end of the solar project’s useful life, the project is decommissioned and the land can be returned to agricultural use.²² In addition, a solar project can offer a consistent, weather-resistant source of income for rural farmers and their local economies, providing an alternative “crop” that diversifies farmers’ revenues.

PV panels are designed to last more than 25 years, and many manufacturers offer performance guarantees backed by warranties.²³ Repsol Renewables anticipates that the panels used for the South Ripley Solar Project will have a useful life of at least 30 years. 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.²⁴ Proper operations and maintenance can increase efficiency, extend a project’s lifetime, and ensure safety.²⁵ Prior to construction, the South Ripley Solar Project will develop and implement an Operations and Maintenance Plan based on industry best practices and site-specific environmental conditions.

Solar PV panels typically consist of glass, polymer, aluminum, copper, and semiconductor materials,²⁶ which can be safely disposed of in landfills at the end of the project life. In addition, recycling technologies have emerged in the last several years that have enabled these materials to be recovered and recycled at the end of their useful life.²⁷ PV solar panel 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.²⁸ In other cases, solar PV components can be reused or refurbished to have a “second life” of generating electricity.²⁹ The industry continues to work with recycling partners and to research and explore additional cost-effective recycling technologies.³⁰