solar panels
Massachusetts
Someone had talked of this earlier, I went out coyote hunting this past week and I could not believe the solar farms. 3 spots just in the past 3/4 months completely overrun with these solar farms or whatever they call them . Anyone else seeing a lot of these. Its insane how much land we will\could possible lose for hunting and recreational use due to this.
I have seen a few in Norton and Easton. In fact, at the town hall in Easton, they said they hit the limit on amount of electricity they are allowed to produce by state regs and are trying to get permission for more from the state. Towns keep the revenue from the electricity paid to them by the electric companies. That is why towns like them. They found more revenue. The deer don't mind the humming from them. Found tracks all over the place around them. Just lots of people hike around them too, so hunting them is tough.
When private land owners lease their land the hunters with permission will now have to hunt public land. You think it's crowded now just wait. I think the eastern hunters may be affected more. I do mobile service calls and on my way to Fall River yesterday I saw 4 solar farms. This may either concentrate the deer and increase the population or decrease through habitat loss we shall see.
Spike, why would the hunters have to leave the places they have permission to hunt?
Murphy because the land will be covered in fenced in solar panels. No where else to hunt.
I think I read somewhere that for the country to derive from solar anywhere near enough power to run the show, the entire surface of the country would have to be covered with solar panels.
There are costs to solar power. The panels lose effectiveness as they age. They are also considered hazadous waste so getting rid of them is costly.
Not to mention during the winter their is less sunlight and also snow covering the panels. If you read up on Germany the govt has to pay electric companies to not close the doors because of bad weather days.
I have never really seen a solar panel farm on someones land. I've only seen them on old dump sites, so ya they were fenced in. I would imagine if someone owned 100 acres and had say a 5 or 10 acre field and agreed to solar panels on the field. The only thing they would fence off is the field where the put the panels. Not that I agree with solar panel farms. I'd much rather see the field planted in some sort of crop ( corn, soy beans, alfalfa, and so on). Hunting ohio I really see what alot of good food can do for the deer. Not to mention mass seems to have some pretty good genetics. I always wonder what this state could be if someone cared.
Murphy. Just take ride down East street in Granby or by Atkins farm and you will see private land solar farms.
The ones on east street are on land owned by west over, and I have seen the one by Atkins farm and if you look on parcel map the area where they are is mostly land owned by Hampshire college. Which would make sense. The yuppie kids seem to think solar panels are the best option for future of energy. I don't think they ever really thought about what happens to all those when they stop working.
Just to answer a few questions and correct some things on this old solar post
1) To power the entire USA with solar (at least during the day) would require .6% of the land. About 11 million acres. providing 4 million Giga watts of energy. Link provided.
2) Most solar panels (+95%)are made of Silicon (harmless). One company has a patent on Cadnium panels (First Solar) those are bad when they are done (about 20 years) and will pollute the environment. Currently there are no plans for how to deal with that. Like most companies that pollute,.. they just do not care as long their money rolls in. 3) Snow slips off the panels as soon as the sun comes out. You can view this yourself during winter as sooo many houses now have solar. 4) Lastly solar and wind are now on a par as the cheapest forms of energy generation. Prices also continue to drop.
I happen to be an expert on solar,.. there is a lot of misinformation out there as there are monied interests that do not want solar or wind to change the power generation dynamic that exists currently. We are talking trillions of dollars in traditional energy generation at stake and forces/companies will defend that at all costs no matter what the facts are.
Folks here are experts on hunting and I turned here for that knowledgeable advice. But solar is one thing I know very well. Murphy,.. I am 52 and hardly a yuppie :)
Hittting pretty close to home talking about the solar field next to Atkins, myself and family farmed that land for over 50 yrs before they went up. Also lost another 17 Ac. of prime corn and alfalfa ground to solar right down the street from the Atkins project. I understand the idea behind solar but put it on all south facing roves first before building on prime farm land.
Hells bells man, are you telling me that what I heard 30 years ago from a drunk Pennsylvania hillbilly isn't accurate? Impossible.
Just kidding, thanks for the clarification.
Belchertown, the plant I am a contractor at just put up solar panels about a year ago. Everyday coming to work all winter I saw snow on them and when their wasn't it was cloudy with no sun and to top it off by the time the sun actually came out it was the end of the day. This summer is rainy day after rainy day. I really don't see a huge value in them after knocking down all those trees. Not to mention the maintenance on them over the years. I am no expert but what I do know is that they look god awful covering what was once a nice green field or forest. I agree with GMC.
Ya no doubt a forest looks better than solar panels,.. no argument there from me.
Same thing to GMC, sad to see farmland turned into panels. I go back to my hometown of Agawam and I hardly recognize the place with all the development.
Honestly I think I need to be in a less developed state like Montana,.. living off the grid way in the woods.,.. oh and with solar panels on the house! :) I bet many here feel that same thing in their blood,.. (not the solar part! )
That's funky the snow doesnt come off Spike, makes me think the set up is a bit off. Maybe the angle is not steep enough or the position didnt allow as direct sun as some other positions.
For us, unless it's insanely cold (like 10 for a high) and there is a LOT of snow on em, they are clear within a day or two. As BB said, a little sun, they quickly seem to melt through, and any remaining snow slides off. That's actually something I wish I had planned better for, it's a pretty impressive avalanche sliding off the house within a couple days of a heavy snow fall.
That said, even with several inches on them, some light must make it through, because the meter will still, slowly, spin backwards on days they are covered. On cloudy days the generate as well.
We have found late November through December to be the slowest months. Pretty much the rest of the year they do great - especially April-October.
