Let the sun shine in

New solar facility rules

Solar panels are touted as a source of clean, renewal energy. At its May 2 meeting, the Goochland Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on zoning ordinance amendments and policies about the deployment of commercial—power gathered to be sold, rather than for on site consumption—solar collection and storage facilities in Goochland.

This was the culmination of a lengthy process that explored the topic in detail and gathered input from the community. Ray Cash, Assistant Director of community Development, oversaw the initiative and has become the county’s solar guru.

As with many other things, the devil is in the details. In broad terms, solar panels sound great. People and businesses install them on their roofs to become independent from the electric grid to save money, and allegedly the planet, in the long run.

Exactly where and how commercial facilities should be located is a question best handled at the local level. Proponents of solar collectors label large scale ground mounted facilities as “solar farms”. Cash commented that “the sun rises over Goochland, but we don’t raise it here.”  Therefore, county documents use solar collection facility.

The acres of farmland that feed America and the rest of the world are a precious resource. Most small farmers have day jobs to make ends meet. The real high rollers who literally “bet the farm”, are those engaged in agricultural pursuits hoping each spring that their harvest will be bountiful enough to cover their costs with a bit of profit. They constantly seek ways to improve their bottom line.

Solar panels provide on-site electricity to power a farm. Selling the excess to power companies is another revenue stream for farmers.

Cash said that the goal of the proposed changes is to site solar facilities in areas where they best fit and allow land owners to maximize use of property that may not be otherwise developable. He said that the changes could be amended over time as the new rules are put into practice and are likely a starting point.

Generation of energy for sales or storage will require a conditional use permit. This will establish uniformity as the use of solar power increases in the county. It also provides an opportunity for the planning commission and supervisors to evaluate each proposed facility to see how it fits into the area.

The county’s rural enhancement area, most of which is zoned A-1, is expected to be where solar energy facility principal (SEFP), for offsite power generation are located. Sites must be at least 30 acres and no more than 1,000 acres, separated by at least two linear miles between boundaries of parcels. Land disturbance is limited to 100 acres at a time to mitigate possible negative impacts. No more than 20 percent of the land occupied by SEFPs may be prime agricultural or land of statewide significance. Set backs must be at least 100 feet from roads and wetlands and other environmentally sensitive land; and 150 feet from existing homes. The zoning ordinance amendment includes detailed requirements for installation and maintenance of vegetative buffers. These regulations are intended to avoid clustering of solar energy facilities and provide maximum protection to the rural viewshed.  

Storage facilities, essentially shipping container sized batteries, are allowed by conditional use permit in agricultural and manufacturing zoning districts. They also must go through the CUP process and meet similar siting and buffer requirements.

The amendments address runoff that can occur when impermeable solar panels are deployed on steep slopes by imposing storm water management requirements.

Wildlife friendly fencing is mandated. Protection of native species, ground cover, and habitats is encouraged.

All good things must come to an end, and solar panels do have a life span. Any permit for a solar facility must include plans for decommissioning and dismantling the site. Solar panels must be removed from Goochland County when they are no longer in use and the site returned to its pre-solar use conditions. The decommissioning plan, which includes posting a surety, must be part of the initial CUP application and updated every three years to ensure that the funds set aside are sufficient as costs change. The posting of such a bond, skin in the game for the long term, also encourages routine upkeep of the facility.

Cash said that solar collection is an evolving technology. In the future, it is possible that more power could be collected from fewer acres. The ordinance amendments and related policies are steps to create guidelines for the deployment of solar power facilities. Federal and state polices about this are also constantly changing.

A speaker in the public hearing advocated for concurrent agricultural uses, as in planting vegetation to attract pollinators to support bee keeping and grazing of ruminants around and under solar panels.

Another said that both the Virginia Farm Bureau and Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts oppose the siting of solar facilities on agricultural land, believing that they are better placed in urban and industrial locations. “A country that cannot feed itself cannot exist. The more agricultural land we use for solar collection is a national security issue.”

Board Chair Neil Spoonhower, District 2, contended that the ordinance amendments and policy is something for the community to react to, a starting point. He said that the board is flexible and reacts to changing conditions.

Cash said that there are no pending applications for solar facilities, though entities have expressed interest.

Establishing these guidelines for solar facilities after a thoughtful and comprehensive "conversation” with stakeholders was a good first step. Stay tuned to see how this develops. See the May 2 board packet on the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ for details.