Boone County’s proposed solar farms

By BELLA PAPPAS

Sheridan High School Student

Editor’s Note: The Sheridan Student Column is brought to readers by Sheridan High School’s 10th grade English class, taught by Abby Williams.

In Boone County, specifically near U.S. 421, 1,660 acres of farmland could be turned into solar energy farms. According to the Indianapolis Business Journal, NextEra Energy, a company based in Florida, plans on rezoning the land to accommodate their project, which will cost $210 million in the end.

To many, this may sound like a wonderful idea. The proposed solar farms may generate enough energy to add to the electric grid, which would reduce the amount of fossil fuels burned. According to The Current, the construction of these solar farms could also potentially introduce jobs for approximately 200 people in the county during construction. It is estimated that around $50 million in tax revenue could be generated if the project is successful.

On the other hand, many are unsatisfied with the idea of solar farms. Many residents of the Boone County area will have their houses and properties almost completely surrounded by solar panels. It is possible that this could alter the property values in this area, not to mention the fact that solar panels are not very attractive to the human eye. Solar panels can also potentially cause pollution in runoff water, especially if they become cracked, which is possible.

Before commencing the construction of these solar farms, there are a few points that should be taken into consideration.

Firstly, where will the $210 million in funding for this project come from? Will this money be funded publicly, or will it be funded privately through investments?

Secondly, are these solar panels even going to work? According to powerelectronics.com, a website about the true cost of solar energy, the energy efficiency rate of solar panels today can fall anywhere between 15 and 22 percent. This number depends on the number of solar days in a year for the area of the solar farms.

Currentresults.com, a website on weather and science facts, states that in Indianapolis, the average number of sunny days – whether that be full sun or part sun – is 187. Yearly, the percent of sunshine in Indianapolis is only 55 percent.

With only about half of the year actually being sunny at all, will these solar farms actually be efficient enough to generate enough energy to add to the electric grid, or will the project just be a fail?