Over the past decade, solar in Ohio has boomed across the state. Increasingly, projects producing multiple megawatts (MW) of power are the norm. Before 2018, most solar projects in Ohio were residential, agricultural, or commercial and powered homes and facilities onsite. Today – solar farms and utility-scale solar is on the rise.
What are Solar Farms?
A solar farm is a large installation of solar PV panels that absorb energy from the sun, convert it into electricity, and send that electricity to the power grid for distribution and consumption by customers like you.
Rural areas with sizeable amounts of available land are ideal for installing many solar panels that produce multiple megawatts of electricity. This electricity usually powers the local community or contributes to the larger national grid.
Usually, utility companies or local governments finance these solar installation projects due to the sheer volume and high initial investment needed for a project of this scale.
According to the Ohio State University Extension’s Farmland Owners Guide to Solar Leasing:
“Two primary differences between commercial and residential solar projects and utility-scale solar projects are that utility-scale solar projects are typically greater than 5 MW, and the electricity generated is interconnected to the electric distribution or transmission grid. Under a utility-scale solar model, either an electrical utility owns the project or an independent project owner enters into a power purchase agreement to sell electricity to wholesale utility buyers.”
Interested in Learning More About Utility-Scale Solar for your Property?
We are excited by your commitment to accelerating the shift to clean energy in our state.
The development of solar farms is not in our wheelhouse here at Third Sun Solar. However, we have some resources to share with you to get you started.
We believe this is the best place to start if you’re interested in developing a solar farm in Ohio: Ohio State University Extension, Utility-Scale Solar Development, Solar Leasing Resources.
Our specialty
At Third Sun, we specialize in full turnkey, grid-interactive solar system design, quoting, permitting, procurement, and installation for residential and commercial projects. If you’re interested in a solar installation to power your home or business, complete the form below!
