Generally, for a 2-5 MW solar farm, the development takes 8-14 months. However, the development timeline largely depends on the utility company’s interconnection process and, local/municipal permitting and approval processes. Construction can take an additional 5-10 months depending on construction timing based on seasonal considerations.
Lease rates will vary depending on the state you live in and the cost of power within your local jurisdiction. Lease rates will also vary significantly based on the available solar program which the project on your land will be developed under. You can expect to be paid a significant premium to the current rentable value of the land.
Leases are executed with each property to provide reasonable access to the site during the project’s lifetime. Lease payments are provided by OYA to the property entities on an annual basis and are fixed over the term of the project. Regardless of system performance, the lease payments will occur as laid out in the agreement.
Typically, the average term for our land leases are 25 years but this can vary depending on the region and the project. We also may offer extensions which may be two, four, or five years in addition to the original lease term. While discussing the lease agreement with you, we lay out the terms and what happens at the end of the lease.
OYA Renewables will consult with the landowner to ensure that the visual impact of solar farm will be minimal. This is typically the single largest contention raised at municipal site plan approval meetings. We can incorporate natural buffers (such as a treeline) into our site plans to help mitigate any potential visual impacts. Generally speaking, solar systems are low-profile structures and typically do not pose a significant hinderance to visual sightlines.
Under the lease, OYA or its long-term ownership group will be responsible for removal of all equipment and infrastructure associated with the project. OYA will pay all costs associated with the decommissioning activity. While, decommissioning of the solar farm is always incorporated into the lease agreement, in some cases, towns and/or counties require developers to post a Decommissioning Bond to ensure funds are available at the end of life to remove the solar facility. While this has a financial impact to the project that will be passed on to the energy user, if required, we are happy to work with the relevant stakeholder to do so.
There are no hazardous materials that the land will be exposed to during the normal construction or operation of the solar farm.
No. The solar farm’s inverters will produce a very low decibel sound while operating during the day, however it will not be a noticeable disturbance. At night, the solar farm will not be producing power and thus does not produce any sound.
OYA’s experienced team will be responsible for the entire permitting process as well as any and all associated costs.