Greetings, solar enthusiasts! Today, I want to reveal some exciting insights into the public perception of large scale solar (LSS) projects. We all know that the growth of solar power is robust, thanks to the increasing number of solar companies developing residential and commercial projects. And, while it’s common to place solar panels for your home, solar power plants are in a category unto their own.
Millions of homes, in fact over 10 million, are within one mile of the 8,000+ large-scale solar projects. Whether it’s a solar array for home or a massive solar power plant, it seems that solar power is becoming part of our everyday landscape. But what do people actually think about these giants?
The Energy Markets & Policy group decided to probe deeper into this, in collaboration with the University of Michigan. They embarked on an incredible journey, surveying almost 5,000 households to understand their perception on living close to large-scale solar project neighbors.
Their findings, published in ‘Perception of Large-Scale Solar Project Neighbors: Results from a National Survey,’ were quite elucidating, showing that a majority of those surveyed, a staggering 85%, held positive or neutral views of their local solar power projects. It seems solar companies are in luck as public perception is largely on their side.
Millions live within a stone’s throw of these solar giants and their attitude towards them remains pretty favorable. However, things take a small twist when we examine the size of these LSS projects. Something daunting happens when a solar project surpasses 100 megawatts – attitudes shift significantly towards the negative, showing a 12 to 1 negative-to-positive ratio.
Here’s where the solar industry needs to take note: concerns about the impact on local aesthetics, overall quality of life, and the perception of unfairness in project planning emerged as major issues. Only 20% of those surveyed were aware of the projects before construction.
Unsurprisingly, the survey unveiled strong public support for rooftop solar with little opposition. The idea of placing solar panels for your home was the most popular. Following closely was support for new LSS projects. Interestingly, agrivoltaics – combining agriculture and solar panels in a harmonious union – gained the highest approval ratings. A win for innovative solar company thinking!
The bottom line? A solar array for your home is still the king, but LSS projects are also generally welcome. With the right approach and more transparency in project planning, I am confident we’ll see a day when large scale solar projects are just as common and well-received as a home rooftop array.
The world may not be fully solar-powered yet, but if there’s anything this survey shows, it’s that the future for solar companies and for anyone keen on installing solar panels for their home is indeed bright. We just have to keep the conversation going, continue educating, and push towards a more sustainable and solar-powered future. Until next time, stay sun-drenched and happy!
Original Articlehttps://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/04/19/neighbors-like-solar-to-a-point/
