End of an Era

[Brute 23]

Those 'night noises' were one of the reasons I finally agreed to move from my place by the National Forest. 50 billion mosquitoes make a lot of Hummmmm!

When I was younger and hog hunted all the time on the prairie, that constant hum from the mosquitoes would be so bad that you couldn't hear dogs bark. It's hard to believe until you experience it.

 

[Warren Allison]

What's the tax percentage of the 40%? Is there a yearly cap? Our yearly cap is 10% but only on the homestead.

We have hit the school tac millage rate cap, and 2 points away from the general property milllage rate. S0, they have been raising the appraised values every year.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I consider solar farms an industrial use. The one they put in south of Cheyenne is something like 800 acres and doesn't leave any room for uses for ag, wildlife, etc. Chain link fence around it and pretty well covered up the land. There is another planned for 4000 or 5000 acres. Cheyenne has big Microsoft and Meta data centers.

The solar farm is industrial. No question about that. I'm not sure about Wyoming or where you are. The difference I see with it is that it is compatible with grazing. Admittedly there are provisions that both the solar company as well as the livestock producer has to take, but the grazing can/is beneficial to the solar company, at least here and in other places I've been exposed to. I am not aware of cases where they are completely incompatible, but those instances may very well exist.

 

[Brute 23]

The solar farm is industrial. No question about that. I'm not sure about Wyoming or where you are. The difference I see with it is that it is compatible with grazing. Admittedly there are provisions that both the solar company as well as the livestock producer has to take, but the grazing can/is beneficial to the solar company, at least here and in other places I've been exposed to. I am not aware of cases where they are completely incompatible, but those instances may very well exist.

They are not letting any grazing go on around the solar farms here. It all gets mowed and sprayed. One I was looking at had almost 1000ac with no panels all being mowed, no hay, no livestock.

I didn't understand it at all. They spend millions mowing these places.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

When I was younger and hog hunted all the time on the prairie, that constant hum from the mosquitoes would be so bad that you couldn't hear dogs bark. It's hard to believe until you experience it.

Sounds like a periodical cicada hatch like south west Ohio is experiencing right now. You literally can't get away from the noise.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

They are not letting any grazing go on around the solar farms here. It all gets mowed and sprayed. One I was looking at had almost 1000ac with no panels all being mowed, no hay, no livestock.

I didn't understand it at all. They spend millions mowing these places.

Likely a lack of education. Grazing is CHEAPER to the solar industry (cost of vegetation removal) and if is more panel friendly (no large equipment to damage the panels).

 

[Brute 23]

Likely a lack of education. Grazing is CHEAPER to the solar industry (cost of vegetation removal) and if is more panel friendly (no large equipment to damage the panels).

I agree but it feels like there is some thing else driving it. I'm trying to dig more in to the details to make sure they don't get paid some thing for the open acres or some thing along those lines.

They are spaying or using zero turns around the panels. I have not heard of any large livestock being allowed around the panels because they are worried about damage. I have heard they are testing sheep in some places around the panels.

It may be a grey area in their contract if they sublease it back for grazing.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I agree but it feels like there is some thing else driving it. I'm trying to dig more in to the details to make sure they don't get paid some thing for the open acres or some thing along those lines.

They are spaying or using zero turns around the panels. I have not heard of any large livestock being allowed around the panels because they are worried about damage. I have heard they are testing sheep in some places around the panels.

They (industry) need to work with the livestock producers. The panels can be elevated 2-3 feet higher for cattle (I've seen this). For sheep, there needs to be precautions taken as there is a lot of copper around solar farms, and copper is toxic to sheep. Sheep can and do graze safely, but precautions are need, just like everything else.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Just "maybe" there is something about solar panels that "might" make the meat unhealthy???

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Just "maybe" there is something about solar panels that "might" make the meat unhealthy???

I like your "maybe" and "might". If it is taken to extremes (and that is what is required to get to yes) then the answer would be yes. That would be if the solar pannel gets broken, or leaks or the animals eat the copper wires, etc. I don't suspect anyone on here is this way, but to say solar panels are unhealthy is about the equivalent of saying that riding in a car is unhealthy because the car can be in an accident and seriously hurt you. So, doe that mean we shouldn't ride in cars? My personal answer is that I'm going to keep riding in cars, even when it gets to the point that they are all electric and the electricity can potentially kill you.

 

[Travlr]

I agree but it feels like there is some thing else driving it. I'm trying to dig more in to the details to make sure they don't get paid some thing for the open acres or some thing along those lines.

They are spaying or using zero turns around the panels. I have not heard of any large livestock being allowed around the panels because they are worried about damage. I have heard they are testing sheep in some places around the panels.

It may be a grey area in their contract if they sublease it back for grazing.

I've heard several people wondering why Walmart parking lots wouldn't be a good place for installing panels. Shade the cars and the asphalt and generate some electricity seems like a win-win to me. But I don't see Wally World signing up... and ya gotta wonder why?

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I've heard several people wondering why Walmart parking lots wouldn't be a good place for installing panels. Shade the cars and the asphalt and generate some electricity seems like a win-win to me. But I don't see Wally World signing up... and ya gotta wonder why?

I've always wondered if open farm land is great for solar panels, then why not put them over large parking lots and roofs of large buildings first?

 

[Brute 23]

It's 100% about the cost to maintain/ repair. When the panels need to be washed its way easier to walk down a row with a pressure washer. When one needs to be repaired or replaced it's way cheaper to do at ground level by a tech or crew. Elevating all that work adds a lot of cost.

That one of the reasons you never put panels on your roof.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

On top of buildings would be ok, but they are really too small to really be practical for large scale generation. Parking lots are a bit bigger but still have a size problem. Also, cows don't drive crazily with the liklihood of crashing into and misaligning or damaging a solar panel. Cows also don't tend to use solar panels for target practice if they get bored or drunk.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

My cows will rub/push/smash/chew on anything in the field. Give them long enough they can tear just about anything up. Ha

As for the target practice thing you obviously haven't seen people out in the country expecially around hunting season. Anything is used for target practice.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

My cows will rub/push/smash/chew on anything in the field. Give them long enough they can tear just about anything up. Ha

As for the target practice thing you obviously haven't seen people out in the country expecially around hunting season. Anything is used for target practice.

LOL. I do get that anything, especially if it is reflective or shiny, might as well have a flashing neon sign that reads "SHOOT ME" I recall and still encounter road signs that have been peppered with bird shot, have dents from 22s, and some gaping holes from deer slugs. Hopefully pannels are either far enough from the road, or elevated enough (not all are) that they dont qualify for target practice. The pannels I've seen with cows are elevated such that the cow only has access to a pole the panel is mounted to that looks as stout or more stout than well casing. Protection of solar infrastructure is one thing that must be considered when panels are co-located with livestock.

 

[Ouachita]

LOL. I do get that anything, especially if it is reflective or shiny, might as well have a flashing neon sign that reads "SHOOT ME" I recall and still encounter road signs that have been peppered with bird shot, have dents from 22s, and some gaping holes from deer slugs. Hopefully pannels are either far enough from the road, or elevated enough (not all are) that they dont qualify for target practice. The pannels I've seen with cows are elevated such that the cow only has access to a pole the panel is mounted to that looks as stout or more stout than well casing. Protection of solar infrastructure is one thing that must be considered when panels are co-located with livestock.

I remember shortly after Bill Clinton moved into the White House, the state replaced all of the border signs "Welcome to the Natural State" with "Welcome to the home of President Bill Clinton". Those signs looked like Swiss cheese within a few weeks.
Highway Department was constantly replacing them. I'll bet they weren't the only ones that were happy when his second term expired.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

That one of the reasons you never put panels on your roof.

Not many solar panels at all UP here but the ones that are around are either on roofs or elevated to a single story roof height on the low side.

 

[cowman82]

the green energy is just a big money grabbing fraud.

just look at germany... or spain.. germany has sunk over 100 BILLION into green energy in the last 10 years and they now use more fossil fuels than ever.

it alwasy goes back to the $$$$$$. always.

 

[Dave]

I said earlier. There was multiple blades for the wind turbines going by here on the freeway everyday. Since January zero. In fact the only ones I have seen on the freeway were headed back to the west. I wonder if they were going to get put back on the ship? Without the government money they just don't pencil and people quit installing them. I believe the same thing is true about the solar panels.