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Utility-scale solar farm
A utility-scale solar farm (often referred to as simply a solar power plant) is a large solar farm owned by a utility company that consists of many solar panels and sends electricity to the grid. Depending on the installation’s geographic location, the power generation at these farms is either sold to wholesale utility buyers through a power purchase agreement (PPA) or owned directly by an electric utility company. Regardless of the exact structure, the original customer of the solar power is a utility, which then distributes the generated electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial customers connected to the grid.
Community solar farms
The idea of community solar has taken off in recent years as more households have realized that they can go solar without being required to put solar panels on their own physical roof. A community solar farm – sometimes referred to as a “solar garden” or “roofless solar” – is a farm that generates electricity to be shared across multiple households. In most cases, a community solar array is a large ground mount installation that spans one or many acres, usually in a field.
Visually, these solar gardens resemble utility-scale solar farms, but they’re often smaller in size. Customers can either purchase a share of a solar garden and own that portion of the overall array, or they can lease energy from the solar system and, in a sense, replace their monthly utility payments with monthly community solar payments that are typically at a lower price.
Advantages of solar farms
Starting or subscribing to a solar farm can be a great way to save money, reduce your carbon footprint and make the most of rapidly changing solar technology. However, there are several things to keep in mind before investing in one.
PROSCONSGenerate environmentally friendly energy
Have an upfront cost for property owners
Require little maintenanceThey require a lot of space (but not on your property)
Typically have no upfront costs for subscribersOnly work when the sun is shining (and energy storage can be expensive)
Environmentally friendly
If you have the available land and resources, starting a solar farm yourself can be a worthwhile investment. Solar energy generated by utility and community solar farms is abundant and readily accessible. Unlike fossil fuels, solar energy doesn’t produce any harmful by-products and is virtually inexhaustible.
Require little maintenance
Solar panel technology has improved greatly in the past few years and panels now require almost no maintenance. Solar panels are made with durable materials designed to withstand lots of damage from the elements and only require minimal cleaning.
No upfront cost for community solar farm subscribers
If you’re interested in subscribing to a community solar farm, you likely won’t have to pay any upfront cost. This makes community solar a great option for renters, those with roofs not suitable for solar panels, or those looking to avoid the cost of rooftop solar panels.