Did you know all the ways that responsible solar developments can benefit you and your community? Discover some of the many ways solar powers up Indiana communities.

This is a virtual copy of HEC’s Solar Factsheet. Discover the sources behind the information below.

More Local Funding

When solar comes to town, taxes go down. When assessing land for property taxes, solar land is valued between $5400 to $13000 per acre. Local governments benefit from these values with new tax revenues while reducing existing tax bills for homeowners by 2% to 11%.

Source: DeBoer, Larry. Solar Energy Projects and Property Taxes. 2023. Purdue University.

Improved Soil Health

After a 30 year solar lease, rested soil under solar farms can be used for crops again. Soil is even better when solar developers use pollinator friendly plants or agrivoltaics. Agrivoltaics combines solar and agriculture together. Projects include sheep grazing, bee keeping, and growing a wide range of crops. Indiana already has many successful agrivoltaics projects. 

Sources:

Martin, Steve. Purdue agrivoltaic farming structures and software harvest solar power at lower cost and with minimal impact on crop yield. 2023.

  • Rakesh Agrawal, Muhammad Ashraful Alam, and Mitch Tuinstra published a study on the profitability of agrivoltaics by creating a patent pending structure and software with corn and soybeans in mind.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Benefits of Agrivoltaics Across the Food-Energy-Water Nexus. 2019.

Center for Energy Education. Myths and Facts about Solar Energy.

Department of Energy. Farmer’s Guide to Going Solar.

Supporting Hoosier Farmers

Solar is a way for Hoosier families to support their farms and families. Indiana farmland is being lost to warehouses and neighborhoods. Solar is the only development that preserves Indiana farmland and can successfully grow food and energy at the same time. 

Source: Schubert, Peter. The Good Questions Project: Understanding Energy Project Development in Indiana Phase 2 Final Report. 2022. IUPUI and Richard G. Lugar Center for Renewable Energy. Prepared for Indiana Office of Energy Development.

  • Page 5, “Our work revealed that land use changes for energy are only a small fraction of other loss of arable land. In the years between 2013 and 2021 almost three-fourths (68%) of lost agricultural land went to homes and neighborhoods. Most of the rest went to warehouses and factories (25%). Only about 5% of land use changes in this period went towards energy. This is within an overall loss of just 2%. Of the 21 million acres of Indiana farmland, about 0.4 million acres were no longer classified as agricultural during that 8 year period. These statistics illustrate how small this issue is, when put into context (5% of 2%, or 0.1% to energy)…”
Safe, Clean, and Reliable Energy

While in use, solar does not produce any air or water pollution. Solar paired with battery storage also ensures that we keep the lights on even when the sun is not shining. Then, after about 30 years, a majority of solar panel materials can even be recycled. Researchers continue to find new ways to reuse all the components including in other technologies. 

Sources:

Robinson, Seth. Meindl, George. Potential for leaching of heavy metals and metalloids from crystalline silicon photovoltaic systems. 2019.

  • Page 23, “We conclude that while no elements were, on average, above soil screening thresholds established by the EPA’s Eco-SSL, further studies are needed to determine the impacts of PV system installation and operation on terrestrial ecosystems. PV systems, however, remain a cleaner alternative to traditional energy sources, such as coal, especially during the operation of these energy production systems.”

Environmental Protection Agency. Solar Panel Recycling. 2024.

  • Utility scale solar panels use small silicone cells containing precious metals which can be repurposed for other technologies during recycling.
Energy Freedom

Hoosiers should be able to participate in and benefit from the clean energy transition by supporting Hoosier grown energy. With rising energy demands, Indiana must ensure we have enough energy without worsening our quality of life. 

Source: Singh, Shweta. Wachs, Liz. Projecting the urban energy demand for Indiana, USA in 2050 and 2080. 2020.

  • Due to population and overall average increase in temperatures, cooling demand, heating demand, and overall electricity demand is expected to increase in 2050 and 2080 even with energy efficiency improvements (page 498). Unfortunately, this study does not include electrification of residences or transport that could further impact energy demand and energy storage (EV batteries can act as storage for the grid).
Addressing Solar Myths

FACT: Solar does not leech lead or cadmium (both heavy metals) into soils or groundwater while in use. Source

FACT: Even during storms, solar performs very well. Source 

FACT: Solar and wind are cheaper than fossil fuels, even when considering government financial support. Actually, both renewables and fossil fuels receive government subsidies. Source 1, Source 2

FACT: Solar does not glare, if it reflected sun, it would not absorb energy properly. Source

FACT: Solar is quiet. Inverters operate no higher than 38 decibels which is less than a refrigerator hum (50dB). Many utility scale solar project noise assessments model noises ranging from only 12 to 42 decibels. Source

FACT: Between 2013 and 2021, Indiana lost 2% of its agricultural land with 68% going to neighborhoods, 25% to warehouses and factories, and 5% to solar. Overall, only 0.01% of Indiana’s farmland went to solar. Source

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