What is Summer Shade Solar?
Summer Shade Solar is an up-to 106 MWac solar facility with potential for battery storage, located in Metcalfe County, Kentucky. Developed by Candela Renewables, the project aims to provide renewable energy by converting sunlight into electricity, meeting the energy needs of the local and regional power grid.
When will construction start?
Construction is expected to begin in spring 2026, with commercial operations targeted for Q2 2028.
What will be the lifespan of the project?
We expect the project to operate for up to 40 years. At the end of this period, the landowners will be able to return the land to traditional agriculture or use it for other purposes as they wish.
How will the project benefit the community?
Summer Shade Solar will create up-to 250 construction jobs with a preference for qualified local labor and create 2-3 permanent jobs. It will also generate at least $2.6 million in local tax revenue, and enhance grid stability. Local businesses will also benefit from increased demand during construction.
What environmental measures are in place?
The project will be designed to use available technologies to reduce grading and integrate sustainable practices like vegetation management and possible sheep grazing under the solar panels. The site will be seeded with native grasses, and plans to integrate pollinator habitat.
Will there be energy storage as part of the project?
The project will include a battery energy storage system (BESS). Battery storage technology will ensure that energy can be supplied even when the sun isn’t shining, allowing reliable power during peak demand.
What makes Summer Shade Solar a good neighbor?
Candela prioritizes working closely with the local community, focusing on minimal environmental impact and sustainable development while fostering strong relationships with residents and stakeholders.
Isn’t solar an inefficient way to produce energy?
No. For example, the net energy production per acre from solar is 100 to 125 times greater than from corn-based ethanol. One thousand acres of corn ethanol can power about 700 cars for a year. The same thousand acres of solar could power about 60,000 electric vehicles for a year.
Ethanol is one of the most widespread uses of farmland for energy production, with about 90 million acres of U.S. farmland planted in corn every year and one third or more of that corn production going to ethanol to be blended into gasoline and burned as fuel.
If ethanol is efficient enough to be a widely accepted energy source for our society, why would solar not be?
You can look into these numbers yourself in this study from Clean Wisconsin, which draws on data from 14 other studies.
You can also look at this report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. It shows that the amount of land needed for solar for a 100% renewable electrical grid is about equal to the amount of land currently used for coal extraction – and much less than the amount currently used for ethanol production.
Will solar power cause electricity prices to rise?
Kentucky’s generation mix currently has very low levels of solar. At these levels, solar reduces utility costs by replacing a more expensive unit of electricity from a natural gas or coal power plant. While traditional natural gas and coal power plants have to pay for every unit of fuel they burn, solar is different – once it’s built, its fuel is essentially free and its price does not fluctuate with commodity prices.
Even better, solar power produces best at the times when electricity is most needed – typically hot, sunny summer afternoons when businesses and people are busy and every air conditioner in town is turned on high.
Finally, don’t take our word for it. Know that the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) regulates the activities of utility companies, and one key priority of the PSC is to ensure affordability. This is why solar is showing up in so many utilities’ plans now – because regulators agree that it is an economical energy source that is in consumers’ best interests.
Will the solar panels be removed from the project site at the end of the project’s useful life?
Yes. The panels and other project equipment will be removed from the Summer Shade Solar site at the end of the project’s life. This is a legally binding obligation that will be contained in the permits Summer Shade must secure from the Kentucky Public Service Commission.
Are there any examples of land returning to agricultural production after being used for solar panels?
Yes. In fact, this happened with the very first utility-scale solar power plant constructed in the U.S. ARCO Solar was constructed in 1982 on 117 acres of agricultural land near Santa Margarita, California. The project was decommissioned in 1994, and the land returned to barley production for nearly 20 years. The land was developed for solar again as part of the Topaz Solar Farm starting in 2012.
In past chapters of their careers, members of Candela’s founding team played a key role in decommissioning ARCO Solar and in developing the Topaz Solar Farm. This story demonstrates that solar energy production and rural lands can coexist.
Can the panels be recycled?
Yes. Solar panels contain valuable materials, and the market for recycling these materials is booming. It is expected to be worth $2.7 billion by 2030. Solar panel recycling facilities already exist and are expanding rapidly – one notable example is Solarcycle’s new recycling plant in Odessa, Texas.
How does the sound of large solar projects impact nearby residential and agricultural property?
Solar projects passively convert sunlight into electricity, and are therefore effectively silent, except for the tracking motors and inverters that might produce an ambient hum that is typically inaudible beyond the project fence line.
Will the project have an effect on the value of adjacent properties?
Multiple studies conducted by real estate professionals, assessors, and industry experts consistently show that solar projects have no adverse effects on property values.
Will the project affect the Metcalfe County water table?
No. The project will have strict measures in place to ensure that no construction activities impact the water table. As a passive technology, the operational project has minimal water requirements, so the project will not impact local well flow rates. The project is required by law to control stormwater and sediment runoff. In addition, the project will be re-vegetated after construction and use very little concrete, which reduces the volume and velocity of stormwater flow.
Are there toxic materials in solar panels?
Like many other everyday products – including cell phones, computers, televisions, and cars, of which there are hundreds of thousands in Metcalfe County – solar panels do contain trace amounts of tin-based solder, silver, and other materials that in their pure forms can be dangerous. However, when combined with the glass, aluminum, plastic, copper, and semiconductor materials that make up most of the mass of a solar panel, these materials are stable, contained, and non-hazardous – just as they are in many everyday products. The EPA’s TCLP test is the accepted method for proving this. Summer Shade Solar will be able to provide documentation that its panels pass the TCLP, proving that any leaching would remain within the same non-hazardous ranges required of any other non-hazardous product.
Are there health risks from the electric and magnetic fields (EMF) from solar panels?
Operational solar panels produce no emissions, waste, odor, or byproducts. The extremely low frequency EMF from PV arrays and transmission lines is the same as the EMF people are exposed to from household electrical appliances and wiring in buildings.
Where will the power go?
Power from the project will flow onto the local electric grid. Like water flowing to the lowest point, electricity generated by the project will serve local demand in the Metcalfe County area via interconnection into the 161kV Summer Shade substation.
Will the project cause glare?
Because solar panels generate energy by absorbing the sun’s rays, they are designed to reduce glare as much as possible. Additionally, because the trackers follow the sun through the day, most of the reflection that does occur will be directed back towards the sky rather than towards the ground or horizon.
How will the project affect local wildlife?
Many species of small animals and birds quickly return to the arrays after construction. Solar arrays are proving to be popular foraging and breeding grounds for a diverse group of animals. Reduced grading will allow for the establishment of native grasses and other vegetation across the site. These grasses can provide critical nesting and foraging habitat for wildlife. The project has also been designed to maintain habitat connectivity by allowing wildlife to cross the project site.
Is there risk from fires from the battery storage system?
There is very little risk of a fire occurring from the battery storage system. Numerous advancements in technology and regulations have made today’s batteries much safer, including a variety of preventative and monitoring tools. In general, if a fire does occur any response is expected to be limited to containment.
Will the project create a “heat island” and increase local temperatures?
Solar projects do not raise ambient temperatures outside of the project boundary. The panels and surrounding air may get a few degrees hotter in the sun, but the effect is highly localized and will return to ambient temperatures at night with no sustained heat effect that is characteristic of “heat islands.
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