Solar Power Videos

What is happening at the government level to shape and drive solar policy in PA and beyond, from farmland preservation to tax policy (subsidies) to broader energy trends driven by expanding climate metrics? This discussion will look at several key factors which are moving PA to becoming a more significant solar energy provider in the PJM grid, and potentially in communities, as distributed energy production nudges more traditional baseload capacity off the grid. What are the challenges and opportunities coming from this shift in the current energy paradigm?

With projections in the Commonwealth that 80,000 acres of land could be transitioned to solar arrays by 2030, what will the impact be to farmland in PA?  Will all of that impact agricultural land or are their other options? And where is the technology heading related to continually improving efficiencies?  This discussion will also explore the convergence of deployed solar energy in dual use systems more commonly known as agrivoltaics.  How are energy companies and farmers partnering to allow some form of agricultural production to be an active part of the energy production system?

Continuing the popular Solar Seminar Series begun in the Summer of 2021, WeConservePA again partnered with Thomas Murphy (Director, Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research) and Brook Duer (attorney with the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law at Penn State law) to present on issues surrounding grid-scale solar development in Pennsylvania.

Continuing the popular Solar Seminar Series begun in the Summer of 2021, WeConservePA again partnered with Thomas Murphy (Director, Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research) and Brook Duer (attorney with the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law at Penn State law) to present on issues surrounding grid-scale solar development in Pennsylvania.

In any location where utility scale solar is going to move forward from design to construction, it is recommended to have a solar ordinance in place at the municipal or county level or both. And yet in PA, most municipalities across the state currently do not have one in place. Join the discussion on where the research currently is in PA, which is looking at the solar ordinance development trends, and the language found in more contemporary solar ordinances. As local jurisdictions plan for this fast-moving energy development showing up in communities across the Commonwealth, what ordinance planning is essential for all parties in the discussion?

Where Will Pennsylvania’s Solar Future Be Located and How Will It Get There? An examination of Pennsylvania’s current legal/regulatory landscape for utility scale solar project siting and the legal and regulatory schemes enacted by legislatures in other jurisdictions that may provide models for Pennsylvania to enact legislation that truly complements the public and private investment that has been made in farmland preservation. Any pending bills in the Pennsylvania legislature regarding issues of importance to solar development generally in Pennsylvania will also be reviewed.

As energy companies plan for increasing amounts of utility scale solar in the Commonwealth, what factors do they use to decide where to place the arrays on the landscape? How are low impact solar facilities designed? What key considerations go into choosing one site over another? Is wooded or open land preferred? And what environmental or community red lines are part of the decision-making process? This session will offer insights from university and industry representatives to give clearer picture of how these important land use assessments are determined and implemented as part of initial siting protocols.

This session takes a fresh look at what we have learned on solar ordinance development across the Commonwealth, including the factors counties and municipalities consider when designing a solar ordinance and where the impacts converge land trust interests.

As energy transitions continue to expand nationally and in the Commonwealth, utility scale solar is being seen as becoming one of the key energy sources of our future. While solar currently makes up only 1-2 percent of total power generation in Pennsylvania, it is projected to have rapidly expanded by 2030 to impact over 80,000 acres of land in the state. Much of the solar footprint currently being leased is on agricultural or forested land. Questions are arising around whether or not conserved land can be leased for utility solar, what impact this type of leasing could have on farmland preservation in the near term, and how can local communities plan for large scale solar arrays in their jurisdiction. As part of this session, the presenters will take the participants on an immersive virtual "tour" to gain a birds-eye view of several utility scale projects in PA, offering a better understanding of the implications and impacts.

What are the key factors in determining how utility scale solar is sited on land in the Commonwealth? And what environmental considerations are part of the decision-making process? Join the Penn State solar team as they explore how landowners can influence how and where solar arrays are placed on their property should they agree to lease for solar energy production. Are there baseline tests which should be initiated? And what are the preferred features companies are looking for to site solar facilities, along with those they are looking to avoid.

A webinar specifically developed for leaders of Environmental Advisory Councils, Pennsylvania Bird Towns, and Pennsylvania Audubon Chapters, the program will feature a short PowerPoint and links to resources assembled by the Pennsylvania Audubon Council’s Renewable Energy Committee.  Participants will be empowered to use the PowerPoint and linked resources in subsequent presentations to officials at the municipal government level in the communities they serve.