OT. Solar Runoff

[Dean Hoffman]

One bad thing about solar I don't see mentioned is the water runoff from the panels. The panels don't absorb rain like the dirt below them would.

[invalid unparseable]

You should read the article carefully. The company cleared 1,000 acres of land on a slope of all vegetation and mass-graded it. That means the land became 1,000 acres of upturned soil on a slope. There is no vegetation cover to hold the soil. When it rains the runoff just carries the mud down the slope. It will happen whether the solar panels are there or not.

[micky]

There was a table with Arcadia written on it out in front of the Walmart a few days ago. He told me it was an alternate way to buy my elecricity, from solar farms, but I think it's equivalent to lending money for solar farm construction, except maybe the terms are worse since you're such a smaller lender. I don't think I'll sign up however. People with card tables don't give me a feeling of confidence.

As to water runoff, why is it any worse than runoff from the roof of a house or building, small or big, or sports statium? Those roofs don't absorb water either.

In fact, why is it anywhere near as bad? The panels, the ones I've seen, are 3 to 6 feet by 3 to 6 feet and there are spaces between the panels. So 6 feet (horizontally) of water will run down the panel and drip off the edge into the ground, evey 6 feet or so, and it will spread out inside the ground like the water that comes off roofs, and even off trees, some of wh ich have enough foliage to stay dry underneat them.

[Dean Hoffman]

It really shouldn't be worse. Cities and towns have storm drains and such to handle normal runoff. Suburbs have lawns. It sounds as if the people actually doing the construction of the solar farm ignored the plans for it. They didn't put in any catch pits, artificial ponds or even sow apropiate vegetion.

More water is going into less space. That will increase the tendency for runoff which would depend on water absorption capability of the soil. Farmers of my dad's generation plowed their fields. They thought bare soil on top was the ideal situation. Part of that was because of the planters and drills of the time. Both would plug up if much plant residue was left from the previous year's crop. Modern equipment is designed to deal with it.

[Dean Hoffman]

Sure. But the land was graded to facilitate the installation of the panels.

[invalid unparseable]

They should have paved the slope, or wait until grass or weed cover is established to hold the soil.

[invalid unparseable]

Old developments here were getting flood damage from all the roads and houses built above them. The county had to build flood basins to fill up in heavy rains and slow the runoff to prevent flooding down stream.