{"id":41,"date":"2022-01-31T21:25:41","date_gmt":"2022-01-31T21:25:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/minonksolarproject.com\/?page_id=41"},"modified":"2022-01-31T21:25:44","modified_gmt":"2022-01-31T21:25:44","slug":"faq","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/minonksolarproject.com\/?page_id=41","title":{"rendered":"FAQ"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\tHow does solar power work?\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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Photovoltaic (PV) panels use the sun\u2019s energy to produce direct current (DC) electricity that flows to on-site electrical inverters that turn DC electricity into alternating current AC electricity which then flows to the electrical grid for consumers to use.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\tHow will it affect farmland?\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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Solar farms are among the least disruptive of any electricity-producing technologies. This Project\u2019s impact on the soil will be limited to the spots where steel beams are driven into the ground to support the solar panel arrays and foundations built to hold inverter stations and transformers. The land used by the solar farm can be returned to full agricultural production after the planned life of the Project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\tHow would severe weather like tornados affect the project?\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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The solar tracking arrays are built to robust ASCE (American Society for Civil Engineers) standards. In the event of extreme weather and high winds, operational procedures will be implemented to stow the trackers in a direction to best withstand high winds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\tIs solar photovoltaic (PV) technology well established?\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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The type of solar PV technology to be used by the Minonk Solar Farm has been in use and continually refined since it was invented in 1954.
Over 76,000 MW of solar PV generating capacity is currently installed in the US. Solar projects accounted for 40% of all new electricity generation built in the US in 2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\tWhat economic benefits will the solar farm provide to Woodford County?\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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The Minonk Solar Farm will provide annual contributions to the county tax base. The solar farm\u2019s activities are projected to create millions in fiscal benefits for the county and the state during the installation phase of the project. The ongoing operation of the solar farm is projected to produce annual significant new local revenues. In addition, Operations and Maintenance will create additional jobs which we seek to locally source.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\tWhat is the Minonk Solar Farm?\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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The proposed Minonk Solar Farm is a 200-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) solar energy generation facility to be built in Woodford County, Illinois. The solar farm will consist of PV solar arrays, access roads, and electrical interconnection to the utility grid.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\tWhat standards are being followed during construction and design?\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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To assure the safety of workers and the community, the solar farm will be designed and installed in conformance with ASCE (American Society for Civil Engineers) standards. These standards promote safety, reliability, productivity, and efficiency across all areas of design and construction of energy systems.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\tWhat type of solar technology will be built at the Minonk Solar Farm?\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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The project will be configured as a ground-mounted solar farm with photovoltaic (PV) panels on galvanized steel tracker racking structures. It will include rows of single-axis trackers, oriented in a north-south direction, that rotate the PV panels from east to west following the sun\u2019s daily path, optimizing the amount of power the solar farm can produce.
The tracker structure is low-profile, approximately 10 feet high above grade at the tallest point (about the height of corn stalks).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\tWhere will the solar farm be located?\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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The Minonk solar farm layout has not been finalized yet but it is planned to be built at the North Eastern limit of Woodford County.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\tWho will pay for the repair of any damaged local public roads?\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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Minonk Solar will document the current condition of the roads prior to construction then restore the roads back to the same condition or better as part of construction follow-up. These costs will be borne by Minonk Solar, not the community. A Road Use and Maintenance Agreement with the City of Minonk and the County will be in place in order to address these issues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\tWhy build a large solar project?\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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Grid-connected larger utility-scale projects can provide electricity consumers, local utilities, and power system operators with inexpensive solar energy when they need it the most \u2013 during high-cost summer peak demand. Such projects also achieve economies of scale enabling more cost-effective production of electricity. The need for large quantities of solar panels and related equipment additionally provide incentives for attracting solar panel manufacturing facilities to the region.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\tWhy build a solar farm in Woodford County?\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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This location also offers efficient transmission capabilities without building additional electrical wires. The PV project will use some of the current infrastructures of the Minonk Wind Farm to interconnect to the grid. This includes for example the switching station and O&M building, therefore reducing the need to build new stations or transmission lines.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\tWill reflection from the panels create glare?\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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A common misconception about solar photovoltaic (PV) panels is that they inherently cause or create \u201ctoo much\u201d glare, posing a nuisance to neighbors and a safety risk for pilots. Light absorption rather than reflection is central to the function of solar PV panels to absorb solar radiation and convert it to electricity. Solar PV panels are constructed of dark-colored (usually blue or black) materials and are covered with anti-reflective coatings. Modern PV panels reflect as little as two percent of incoming sunlight, about the same as water and less than soil or even wood shingles. The Project will be conducting Glare Studies that will be made part of the permit application.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\tWill the solar farm affect property taxes?\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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This project is expected to significantly increase property tax revenue for the locality than what is currently collected. The increased revenue will improve local governmental services like schools, which improvements have a positive effect on property values.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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