Northwest Solar Power Greening

How many solar projects are there in Washington State?

Solar is buoyed by the rapidly falling cost of photovoltaic panels. So far, more than 20 solar projects covering more than 22,000 acres have been proposed in Washington state, according to a Seattle Times analysis of filings with counties and other documentation.

Is solar a good investment in the Cascade Crest?

“We are seeing a huge solar buildout,” said Ben Kujala, the Northwest Power and Conservation’ Council’s planning director. Some residents east of the Cascade crest welcome the fresh opportunities of solar, which can offer lease fees far exceeding the per-acre earnings from ranching and dryland farming.

Can crops be grown under solar panels?

Crops can be grown beneath solar panels to reduce their exposure to the sun and protect from extreme heat. Credit: Oregon State University NEWAg Lab

Where is the state's biggest solar farm?

The state’s biggest completed solar farm to date, which stretches across more than 200 acres just outside the city limits of Lind in Adams County, went in with scant controversy in 2018.

Do agrivoltaic sheep graze in solar panels?

Meanwhile, researchers at Oregon State University have determined that sheep reared in agrivoltaic settings prefer to graze in the shade of solar panels. The study also found that, despite finding less forage in solar pastures, lamb production did not differ from lambs grazed in open fields.

Will Invenergy pay for solar panels?

GOLDENDALE, Klickitat County — In September 2018, Russ and Amy Hanson received an unsolicited offer from Invenergy to cover their land near this south central Washington town with solar panels. They could earn up to $40,000 a year for a quarter-century lease on their 40-acre tract, according to correspondence from the company to the Hansons.