Solar projects make excellent neighbors. Solar farms are entirely self-contained—they use no fossil fuels and create no air or water pollution. Solar projects have very few moving parts, make little sound, and do not emit odors. Solar projects also have a low profile, about the same as cornfields just before harvest. Solar projects require minimal maintenance, which means there is no significant increase in local traffic during operations.
An examination of property values across the United States demonstrates that large-scale solar projects do not negatively impact property values. Noise, odor, and traffic typically correlate with negative impacts on property values, none of which occur in operating solar projects. Solar farms are compatible with rural/residential transition areas that function harmoniously with this area.
Solar panels are low profile by nature of their design. TotalEnergies strives to obscure the visibility of its solar projects through careful site selection (i.e., avoiding dense residential areas or other sensitive areas), setting back from residential areas, and planting vegetative screening when needed.
Solar panels are designed to absorb light from the visible spectrum, not to reflect it. They are also coated with an anti-reflective coating to minimize the little reflectivity there is. As a result, solar panels are generally less reflective than windows and are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for installation on and around airports across the country.
While solar projects make some noise, the noise is negligible and typically becomes inaudible from between 50 and 100 feet of the project's boundary. Also, the noise that a solar facility produces only occurs when the equipment is in use. In other words, at night, when the panels and inverters are not in use, there's no noise.
Wildlife studies are an essential part of the development process — trained experts study proposed sites to ensure that development minimizes impact on wildlife. These extensive studies include biological, wetland, hydrological, hazardous materials, and geotechnical surveys of the project area. In addition, TotalEnergies coordinates with federal and state wildlife agencies to confirm best management practices and impact mitigation strategies. There is even an opportunity for solar projects to uplift wildlife benefits when incorporating pollinator habitat plantings within the project area.
Overgrown vegetation is not desirable because it can cause safety hazards and impedes sunlight on the panels. Low-growth native seed mixes are often used to maintain the vegetation on the land, along with mechanical mowing when necessary.
When the solar facility is no longer efficient, typically after 35-40 years, the system will be decommissioned, and the land will be restored and available for its prior use. This process is part of the lease agreement; the project owner is required to remove all infrastructure associated with the solar project. A bond or letter of credit will be posted to pay for the cost of removal and restore the land to its pre-construction condition prior to the land lease expiration. Once the equipment is removed, resale value components will be sold, and those with no resale value will be salvaged and sold as scrap for recycling or otherwise disposed of at an approved location offsite. Panels will be removed for reuse or sent to a dedicated panel recycling facility.
Panels are primarily made of silicon, glass, silver wire, aluminum, copper, and other common materials. There are no toxic materials that will leach into the environment, as all panel materials are stable, solid, and sealed between two pieces of glass. The solar panels are incredibly durable and are required to meet all local, state, and federal regulations.