By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The big news coming out of Thursday's Barton County Planning Commission meeting at the Hoisington Activity Center was the location of Acciona Energy's proposed solar farm in the county. Adam Stratton, Acciona's director of solar development, also laid out the size of the project, which would consist of two locations generating 150 megawatts (MW) of energy.
"The total number of megawatts installed in all of Kansas right now, solar energy, is about 120-130 megawatts," he said. "That includes residential, small commercial, and something that would be considered maybe more solar farm or larger scale. That's 125 megawatts. One of our solar farms of the four or five we have in development here, each of those is 150 megawatts. When our first one starts construction in the coming year, that will be doubling the capacity in Kansas instantly."
One megawatt is enough to light approximately 1,000 homes. Stratton said Acciona would not need to install additional transmission lines in the area to get the energy onto the power grid, and that any infrastructure would be placed underground. Part of the project in Barton County would include two acres of battery storage in structures identical to 40-foot shipping containers.
Planning commissioners asked a variety of questions about the safety of panels, including the risk of contaminating the ground beneath the cells. Stratton said the panels contain polycrystalline cells that are connected by copper wire. There is no liquid, and the glass is tested for durability at all angles against a range of hail conditions. He likened the panels to a car windshield.
READ MORE: Acciona reveals potential location of solar farm
"When the hail hits your windshield it doesn't come through your windshield and hit you in the face," he said. "It cracks. It's made to do that and made to take impact. That's what saves our lives. It also saves the solar panel and solar cells from not completely smashing. Everything stays in the frame of the panel."
Another concern involved what would go under the panels. The reps explained that some smaller farms may have used gravel to save money or because the panels are so close together. That would not be the case with Acciona's panels. Native grass or cover would likely be planted.
READ MORE: Acciona reps answer questions about wildlife impacts
"If it's a tilled field, then you're not going to plant anything," Stratton said. "One, you want to control what's going to come in there because all of a sudden you're not working the land anymore. That's probably not a good idea. Two, from a runoff perspective, you've got to control the water."
Stratton said the typical agreement with landowners is a 30-year contract with two additional five-year options. In the event of bankruptcy or other unanticipated company loss, property owners are protected by a decommissioning clause held by a third party.
Economically, Stratton said land value can increase 5-10 times once the solar panels are installed, though the company would also seek tax exemption for 10 years as an energy provider. Stratton said he expects construction of the farms to take 18-32 months with 700-800 jobs at the project's peak. More than 30 full-time, well-paying jobs would remain after construction.
The Barton County Planning Commission is currently revising rules regarding commercial solar farming. The Barton County Board of Commissioners will vote on whether or not to continue a moratorium on commercial solar farm development in the county at Tuesday's meeting.