# Solar Panels



## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Recently learned 50 acres of hay ground we started renting is now locked in for solar panels if they desire to do so. During conversations learned that a LARGE swath of all available/prime( farm land just over the border is locked in and there they are just waiting for the last approvals. Sub stations, grids and/or whatever else is already laid out. $4000/year to join and if built $800/acre to turn farmland into waste land. I guess the plan if this goes forward you can raise sheep. The town in NY is pushing hard for it for the tax revenue.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

My nephew just leased 100 acres that to be utilized for solar panels. Contract is for duration of 30 yrs. My 1st though is when land has been utilized for ag purposes what happens to property tax exemption for agriculture?


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## farmergann (Oct 21, 2021)

IH 1586 said:


> I guess the plan if this goes forward you can raise sheep.


Or a 40-60 horse tractor, Hesston 1010, and inline baler 
(Pat. Pend.)


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

My Dad is looking at solar panels on a small area behind our business. I just dont see how it pans out... 600k project but 200k can be covered by grants. That leaves roughly 400k in cost. System will pay for itself in 10 years, however the panels drop in efficiently by .5% per year. So the older they are the less electric they produce. Then when they are shot you have to pay to tear system out or replace them. Also, panels are made in China so they say good for 30 years. Has anyone bought anything from China that lasted as long as they say?? Does anyone have 30 year old panels that can confirm they lasted the entire life? 
The other issue with solar is although the panels may last 30 years I highly doubt the expensive inverters will..
I have been trying to convince my dad to just buy a rental property. Buy 400k rental units, they will pay for them selves in 15 years and in the end you have an asset to sell!


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I've got tons of 1980's solar cells that work, but they are in calculators!


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

And how well do they collect solar when a lot of our days look like this


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

Most of these solar fields would not be in existence if not for heavy taxpayer subsidies. Lot of misinformation out there, but solar definitely is not "free energy". Solar / wind power will never replace traditional energy sources, no matter what the "green new deal" folks tell you. Electric companies still have to have "spinning reserves" to take over when that 50mw solar field output drops from 50mw to 20mw when a cloud crosses overhead. That's why many electric companies have "solar rates" or "solar surcharges" when you install panels.

Here's the thing, Ga Power is currently building two new nuclear units. Largely due to insane regulations in the nuclear industry, the project is years behind schedule and billions over budget. Still, Ga Power has announced that several of their coal plants will be shut down in the next few years and what will replace it?

I did some "napkin calculations" recently comparing solar to nuclear. Using Capacity Factor (CF) as the sole variable, Ga Power nuclear units have a CF in the mid 90% range while solar in GA has a CF of around 20%. So, to replace a 1000mw nuclear unit with solar, you would have to build (1000 x .95) / .20 = 4750mw of solar - and that's assuming utility scale storage capacity is technically feasible (which it is not at the present time).


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## farmergann (Oct 21, 2021)

RockmartGA said:


> Most of these solar fields would not be in existence if not for heavy taxpayer subsidies. Lot of misinformation out there, but solar definitely is not "free energy". Solar / wind power will never replace traditional energy sources, no matter what the "green new deal" folks tell you.


In fairness, oil exploitation wouldn't exist without perpetual human rights and environmental abuses. I'd say the relatively miniscule tax burden in the U.S. for solar subsidies is, well, not even comparable to the century+ of continuing atrocities that keeps the ol' petrol flowin'.

To the point on free energy - of course nothing is free, but geothermal energy (not the half-ass fracking clone version) is locally accessible planetwide in quantities that would provide for human use longer than the sun will burn. One problem with it... It's too cheap and simple.

Planned obsolescence as practiced by today's manufacturers has nothing on those powers that be who make money killing, drilling, and instilling their agenda. Those bastards get paid to kill the locals, rebuild what they've destroyed, charge for extraction and distribution of their product, then charge for the inevitable cleanup of slave labor mishaps... Ah yes, and then they charge even more for the healthcare of the countless throngs who suffer the ill effects of their product's unbelievably toxic byproducts. All the while running the puppet state(s) that conservatives and liberals alike pledge their worthless allegiance to.

🤣🤣🤣


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## HayMike (Mar 22, 2011)

The Planet of Humans. Hard to believe it's from Michael Moore.


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

farmergann said:


> In fairness, oil exploitation wouldn't exist without perpetual human rights and environmental abuses. I'd say the relatively miniscule tax burden in the U.S. for solar subsidies is, well, not even comparable to the century+ of continuing atrocities that keeps the ol' petrol flowin'.
> 
> To the point on free energy - of course nothing is free, but geothermal energy (not the half-ass fracking clone version) is locally accessible planetwide in quantities that would provide for human use longer than the sun will burn. One problem with it... It's too cheap and simple.
> 
> ...


Oil and gas is used for a LOT more than merely "petrol" for our cars. Have you checked the price of fertilizer lately?

Point is, if you want an industrialized nation, you need electricity to power it. Fossil fuel and nuclear generation is not perfect, but it beats the heck out of the alternative, which is massive blackouts, and unstable electric grid, and [further] loss of our manufacturing base. I'm not "anti-solar", I think it has benefits and a place in our electric system generation, but I am also realistic enough to know that you cannot replace base load generation with solar panels and a battery backup.

You also have to question why certain nations, which are no friends of the United States, want us to shut down fossil fuel and nuclear generation and "go green".


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## farmergann (Oct 21, 2021)

RockmartGA said:


> Point is, if you want an industrialized nation, you need electricity to power it.


100% agree. Which is why I mention geothermal. It's literally the answer to every energy issue we have/will. It eludes us only due to the greed/corruption/evil of our corporate overlords. The technology has been mature for decades and it uses current infrastructure - hence, no juicy profits to be made (can't have that lol)

I don't differentiate between nations any more than between parties within this nation. Find me one that isn't slave to corporate control and I'd feel different.

Also to your points - HayMike linked to a movie that pretty well sums up why "green" is what it is. It's the same reason geo isn't implemented. $$$


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## MTB98 (Feb 13, 2021)

Solar seems to make the most sense in individual private applications. For example you install solar on your house and barn roof to offset your homes electrical use and sell excess back to the power company. That isn’t taking land away from crop production or other uses.


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

MTB98 said:


> Solar seems to make the most sense in individual private applications. For example you install solar on your house and barn roof to offset your homes electrical use and sell excess back to the power company. That isn’t taking land away from crop production or other uses.


I agree and would go a bit further and say that solar makes sense for businesses that have a lot of open roof space (malls, big box retailers, etc). The reason you don't see solar panels on every Walmart in the nation is probably because without subsidies, the math just doesn't pencil out. So, the electric rates have to get a lot higher (which they will if Washington politicians get their way) or the cost of installation has to get a lot cheaper (which the prices have decreased over the past few years as the technology has improved).


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

In Ames, IA where I lived for 11 years, they were the first city in the country to burn their trash to generate electricity. There was a pretty extensive filtration process the exhaust went through to clean up the air.

I wonder why more cities don't take this on, it's worked really well.


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## HayMike (Mar 22, 2011)

In Akron, that was tried twice, I think in the 80's, and then some years later. Both times ended in explosions because of something in the trash. Now the plant is gas-fired.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

HayMike said:


> In Akron, that was tried twice, I think in the 80's, and then some years later. Both times ended in explosions because of something in the trash. Now the plant is gas-fired.


The trash has to be sorted first. They have a pretty extensive sorting process.


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