New solar farm regulations are a “good start” for a Suffolk farmer whose family and neighborhood became a case study for future solar development in the city.
“With all the frustration that we’ve experienced and my neighbors have experienced, it’s good to see that anyone going forward may not have to go through this frustration,” Shane Alexander said during the Wednesday, June 18 city council meeting.
The Alexanders have been at the forefront of advocacy about the sonic impact of large solar farms on surrounding communities since the 99-acre Stratford Solar farm went up across the street from their White Marsh Road property in 2022.
The family raised issues with the farm to city council several times. They said they often hear sound emanating all day from the farm’s equipment and it is harming their quality of life and their health. Suffolk City Council acted on Wednesday, approving new sound and setback rules for solar farms that require any noise generated by a farm stay under a level approved through a noise study at all times.
“Because of your advocacy, we were able to listen and we were able to implement the changes that needed to be done,” said Sleepy Hole Borough Councilmember Ebony Wright.
The rules also mandate a greater distance between a farm’s inverters and the property line. Inverters, which change the direct current electricity generated by the solar panels into the alternating current electricity that the power grid runs on, have cooling systems that can generate an audible whirring sound.
New farms will have to place inverters 1,000 feet or more from property lines if they generate more than five megawatts of AC energy, such as the 15-megawatt Stratford farm. That number drops to 400 feet for farms generating less power. The rules cannot be enforced retroactively on facilities already permitted under the old requirements, which allowed inverters to be installed 100 feet from residential property lines.
“It’d be nice to see those inverters move back 1,000 feet tomorrow as well, but I’ll take a win where I can get a win,” Alexander said.
Localities across the Commonwealth have had to catch up to a new and growing energy industry that’s frequently found itself in conflict with rural neighbors.
Energy companies are eyeing rural areas as they seek to meet the charge of the Virginia Clean Economy Act. The 2020 law requires providers such as Dominion Energy to generate 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2045. Population density in Hampton Roads makes agricultural land a prime target for solar developers, to the chagrin of farm advocates.
Getting it right has been a work in progress for Suffolk. Suffolk Borough Councilmember John Rector referenced the proverb that if at first you don’t succeed, to “try, try again.”
Prior to this week’s decision, Suffolk also limited solar farm development to about 1,600 acres of agricultural land citywide and required noise studies before issuing permits for new solar farms.
“We have to learn through our experiences, and we can’t go back,” said Mayor Mike Duman. “With the passing of this ordinance, we have really dotted the I’s, crossed the T’s and taken into consideration everything we possibly could regarding the size and location,” and sound impact of solar farms.
