Would you buy a house next to a solar farm?
What's consensus.....do property values go down when a solar farm is in a field next to a person's home? If it is concealed by a wall or trees, would you still buy?
OnlyChild 
3wbdwnj I asked because one is being proposed in a field next to a friend's home...so he and his neighbors concerned about properties being devalued. The Township claims there is no data that supports this concern. Any realtors out there that can shed light from your perspective....
Does it really matter anymore? It's not as if real estate is a great investment going up in value every year.
s.l.m. I think just having to ask the question gives you the answer. Anything "different "" just gives any potential buyer another "concern". Just my 2 cents.
hjc I would love it. That way nosey, noisy and people I could careless for wouldn't live there. To me that is a selling point.
Once you had neighbors you can't stand you will understand.
CJ. 
Steve-0 no! they are hideous imo. they should be hidden from residental areas but the problem is there is no room left in some areas.
nutty To put the question asked into perspective, I’d ask a few additional questions:
Would you buy a house next to a pig farm? Would you buy a house next to a factory? Would you buy a house next to a house in disrepair? Would you buy a house where you can shake your neighbors hand through windows? Would you buy a house next to an airport? Would you buy a house next to a large apartment complex? Would you buy a house next to a river that floods? Would you buy a house next to a busy road? Hummm….not me for any of those, but to each his own. I would much rather buy a house next to a solar farm.
I agree with CJ. Move to a neighborhood, and you have no idea what you are getting yourself into. Move next to a solar farm and you can be pretty sure you will have peace and privacy for at least 25 to 30 years.
In another thread, I encouraged people to go see the M&M Solar field to see how nicely it complements the adjoining neighborhood.
AnacondaQ2 If the area in which the house was nice and the house was what I wanted why not -
Caged Animal A bunch of panels that point towards the sun and make no noise? Who wouldn't want such a neighbor?? Let me tap into it though!
Bruin I would rather live next to a solar field then the toxic waste I live next to today called humans. Just like anything else these days, the lesser of two evils sometimes wins the battle. Not saying it is right but if you knew what I had to deal with you might choose the same......
Think about this..
Solar energy.. after the cost of the equipment = F R E E
Solar Farm = For Who? To Benefit = ? Who ?
Eliminate fossile fuel to produce electric = You Bet!!
A Discount for the customer somehow = N E V E R !!! = Why??
Answer = Because those that have the resourses to install and supply the solar farm will be the Only Ones To Reap Profit...= From the consumer = Like Me and You! We Lose...They Win!... We still pay $$$$...and they... Yay!!!
............ The answer to Buying a house next to a solar farm...for me..NO..
It's like living with a dairy farm next to me; but No Cheaper Milk For Me...
Oh! Yeah! ...it's a great job producer when it's done. Like 5 window washers; each making 34,000.00 a year income, for a 500 panel farm cleaning solar cell glass.
embryodad I would hope they have the courtesy of planting some trees to block the view of the solar farm. If so, I wouldnt have a problem at all
Pete As long as I could not see the panels, I would consider it. I would not move next to a working farm. Think about the chemicals they are using that leak into the water supply. And don't forget to hold your breath when they spray the crops. At least solar panel views can be hidden with trees and berms. Not true of cell towers, power lines and power plants.
maja Could you imagine if they fight this and win and then 3 years later they end up putting a prison there or something like that?
A solar farm seems pretty benign to me. I think there's a lot worse that could be done with land that someone else owns in the first place.
Joe M I am a big believer that given the human body is really an electricc-chemical organism that being near electric conversions (transformers, generators, etc.) is a very bad thing. The effects are cancer clusters and lukemia clusters. High tension wires just carry the power and are not really that bad, but any conversions generate EMFs like no tomorrow.
I would not even like to live close to a power company transformer, even the ones on the poles. Don't believe me? Stand below one with an EMF reader and watch the spikes.
The good news is that EMF disapates quickly, so while tvs may be deadly at 6 inches, like Mom said, by 3 feet they are pefectly safe. Electric shavers with their little motors aimed right at your cranium --- not so safe...:>)
So given the landscaping is appropriate, as long as the EMF is low, the noise is low, there is no reflection --- sure, no problem.
mistergoogle FYI - example of the "concerns"... these concerns will grow, not lessen:
http://www.eiwellspring.org/SolarEMFHazard.pdf
Also - remember this is an "electricity plant" with alll the hazzards of one (e.g. what if your children climb the fence to go investigate??)
See concerns in Tewksbury....
http://tewksbury.patch.com/articles/tewksbury-resident-voices-concerns-about-andover-solar-farm#photo-4314396
Finally, if anyone has issues with living next to people then, to me, it seems best to live on a completely isolated piece of property to eliminate any possibility of being bothered. Because I'm sure the farm construction, maintenance people, the big fence and "reflection" from the solar farm would also be source of irritation.
Good luck to you...
depends if the house had a direct view of the solar farm. like out the master bedroom window or kitchen/great room windows. if it did , it would be a negative for me. if there wasn't a direct view then i dont think it would be a concern.
PoppyGirl"Also - remember this is an "electricity plant" with alll the hazzards of one (e.g. what if your children climb the fence to go investigate?"
If this happened, most of the people on this site would shoot first, ask questions later anyway.... :>)
I would since you know who the neighbor would be. You just never know who would be moving in next to you otherwise.
Magpie 
this is not what i would want to see when i look out my window. also i would not want to live next to a farm, a dilapidated house, etc...
trees and fences get damaged, to get the owner to replace and or fix is nearly impossible.
I grew up near pig farms and believe me they were better neighbors than the ones I have now !!
Benice, lol, I agree with pigs being better neighbors than some (if that’s what you meant), but commercial pig farms have one of the foulest smells imaginable. After a few days you get used to it though, but when you invite people over for a party and wonder why your guests are leaving early……
HJC, with regard to the article by Andrew Eriksen (your first link), I did some research and found him spewing misinformation all over the place. He seems to be focused on some rare medical conditions and whatever might possibly aggravate those conditions. He is in the medical field and has no business speaking about other fields if he cannot back up his generalized statements with facts. For example, he has said:
“Solar panels are made out of silicon. If people inhale silicon dust over long periods of time, they can develop a disease called silicosis. This happens because silicon dust damages lung tissue, making lung capacity smaller and impeding breathing. The disease develops very slowly and there is no known treatment for it yet.” Andrew Eriksen
That is one of the most ridiculous statements I’ve ever seen about solar panels, and that’s how misinformed hype gets started.
Embryodad, why do you think you should benefit if it’s not your land and you are not investing any of the money? If you’d like to make an investment, you can have the benefit. Why would this be any different than any other business venture?
Joe M, nice! Words of wisdom. I agree.
Yes, I am passionate about renewable energy, and I will defend and promote it when I can. It’s here to stay. Ask someone that has solar installed on their home to remove it and I bet they will reach for their gun and escort you off of their property.
It is a code requirement that solar photovoltaic systems have a perimeter barrier; usually fences.The inverter (taking dc to ac) panels/boxes are to be locked. The only other hazard I am aware of is at the back of the panels. The cables are typically of a plug type and it is possible that they could become disconnected and they are high voltage. Netting is available for back of panels for protection if specified clearly. The area should be marked; such as "high voltage".
Guys ....you're over-intellectualizing. All of the "facts", "science" and technical mumbo jumbo don't matter one iota. This is about PERCEPTIONS...if someone THINKS or is UNCERTAIN that a solar farm is dangerous then that's all that matters. They won't buy the house next door.
Bob, you make a very good point. Just like swimming pools, decks, or other structures, solar installations are regulated by the National Electric Code, Uniform Building Code, and by any local code requirements determined to be needed for the safety of the public.
The connector plugs on the solar panels are locking connectors that take special tools to get apart. It would be easier to get an accidental shock in your home than in a solar field.
To keep this thread on point (indirectly) studies have been done that say that your investment in solar panels for your home will almost always be recovered 100% when you sell. In other words, your home will sell for the cost of the solar over the otherwise fair market value.
If somebody wanders onto what is essentially an electrical grid and gets fried, f'em. Darwin in action. Maybe the burning fat energy can be harnassed.....
i live in ON Canada and there is a large solar farm going up right behind my house. My home is rural and am currently dealing with the noises of major construction from 7 am to 5 pm. Although this is an annoyance what I am very concerned about is reselling my home now-- I have a direct view of the farm- and the land they are using is on an incline. Not to mention that the land they are using is good soil. I am all for renewable energy--but at what cost. I was considering planting trees to hide the view- any feedback/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
JS Move to the U.S. Apparently, we're dead set against renewable energy, don't believe in global warming, and refuse to give up our energy-wasting incandescent bulbs. You should have no worries about finding land without a windmill or solar panels.
emaxxman I probably wouldn't, but only because I don't like the way the panels look. A neighbor one house away installed several on his roof and it just looks ugly in my opinion. I'm not against the technology, but I'm a member of the NIMBY crowd on this one. I feel the same way about cellphone towers, water tanks, and sewage treatment plants. I do believe it could easily affect property value - case in point the cell tower trees. Surely that is a comparable study that could be easily accessed. Look also for studies where people live next to a proposed quarry. You might see a benefit in property taxes being reduces, but you could also have a hard time selling your home. Maybe some super crunchy granola types would jump at the chance to live next to such a farm, but not me. I'm only moderately crunchy....
Antimony If you believe in Global Warming, your right. If you believe it's caused by Cow F@rts, your ingnorant. Solar farms are only cost effective if the cost of producing energy through coal and oil is driven up. Now we see the coal mines being shut down and the Keystone pipeline being stopped to force the price of energy to sky-rocket. President Obama said under his plan this would be necessary. If people wanted it there would be no need to force it down their throat. Follow the money!
K Jett No I want to know the dangers to the animals birds flying over and the radius of this affect then I could better tell you if I would buy a home
Christine mccullough I would not . There are all kinds of problems with these solar farms, from health risks , to causing flooding . They should not be allowed to be built in any kind of residential area. They are popping up all over Ontario with no insight from the town councils to the potential negative effects and blood money being given to the town council to " encourage" them to accept.Also Ontario has sufficient power, so this power is sold to the states by the US company that puts up the solar farm. If they don't get enough money per Kilowatt hour Your Premiere has guaranteed to the solar companies a certain cost per kilowatt hour. As our own hydro costs go thru the roof , our tax dollars are subsidizing the solar power sold to the US...This stinks and I am not sure why everyone is not up in arms!!!
T. Makinen-Potts T. Makinen-Potts - Did you read where you are posting? We *all* live in a small town in New Jersey. I doubt you'll get sympathy here about Ontario's power issues. ;-)
GC 
5catmom The photo "nutty " put up looks like a beautiful, giant contemporary home. Better than living next to a nuke plant. If the price is right, go for it. There is a lot worse you could be living next to.
sparksjbc1964 Those who think that solar is 'green' energy need to look at information about the manufacturing and disposal of solar cells. The sun is an endless (to us) source of power, but producing the equipment to gather it is just as dirty as any fossil fuel driven technology and we have little in the way of safe disposal. We have a long way to go before solar is truly 'green'.
And to the original question: we have been told by realtors in our area that those who live beside the solar plant can expect a 10-40% reduction in their property value. One house will be surrounded on 3 sides by the installation, and of course can expect to take the greatest hit.
Katherine 5catmom - It's not really anything related to a troll. It's just a Google phenomenon where people search for something, don't look at all about what it is, then drop off a post. Nothing really to worry about.
Hey just kidding. Have met some trolls elsewhere. Good troll away spray available if you "Google" it. Lol
Josh I'd rather live next to a group of trolls ....wait, I'm being a troll now, aren't I. I still think that word is funny as hell, as we used to LOVE them, pre millennium.
I'm 20ft or less from the building of a solar field as I speak. The back of my home face a beautiful golf course with a view to die for. Now that view is being taken away. The golf club decided to spend 750,000 dollars to go solar. I'm stuck waking up in my backyard to blinding solar panels. My neighbors whom share this view are very angry and sad, not to mention see the one selling point of buying our home go to what they call green progress. We didn't even get a notification this was to take place. The panels are a money generator. I'm not stupid. The building where the office are can't burn that much electricity. Yeah they have to charge up the golf carts but " really"! I'll mis my view and find out years later my family was exposed to deadly cancers Is it time to move?
Tony McLean 10 different realities all said the same thing when I asked them if a solar farm would damage my homes value. Yes and it would make it even harder to sell.
drew About 3 weeks ago we were sent a letter to inform us our neighbor had sold his 80 acre parcel to an out of state solar panel developer. Our property line (50 ft) is also the city line. Our city voted no solar farms, the other approved, but never informed our local city. Now instead of working to make this asthetic, we have the solar panel fields going in with no care to the existing neighbors (15) who will be directly impacted. If our property values are affected, then the trickle down effect will be to other properties near the field as well. There are risks living next to these panels if they are not maintained. There is wetlands, major wildlife, a farm and barn and outbuildings, trees that will all be demolished or directly affected. We all live in the other city and have no voice in the city that approved this. We have no recourse. Neither does the birds, trumpeter swans, fox, deer, birds.. if you lived in a home with a view of a lake, but did not own lakeshore, and they decided to drain the lake, how would you feel..how would your property value be affected.
I bought a house in the country and had a solar farm constructed a few years later . They claim they were going to be good neighbours, so when you hear statements like that prepare for the worst. There was to be an 80 foot tall tower constructed between my property and the neighbours as per their drawings. I went to work and discovered a tower that stands at least 300 feet tall lining up with the centre of my driveway,when I came home, not an 80 foot tower between the properties that wouldn't have been an issue.
steev I would not make the purchase.
Esthetically displeasing.
A definite drag on value.
Think of it as purchasing a home adjacent to a 200 ft electrical easement. ( power line)
Whether it impacts ones health is up to debate (electro magnetics), but it is a good reason to avoid.
Stymie Also, the issue of the buzzing sound the big solar farms make; that would drive me bonkers.
Heidi It's odd what must be in this post to draw the google searches from other countries. This post is six years old now but 4 different times it seems to be resurrected as if it were new by people in the UK or Canada.
Solar farm buzzing noise is even worse at night :-).
You know how clise you need to be to hear a buzz?
Strangerdanger 
JD4020 "Sure, understanding today's complex world of the future is a little like having bees live in your head. But, there they are." firesign theater.
I have never been close enough myself to hear, but understand it to be somewhere between a vacuum cleaner and a window ac unit, db wise. Also, my understand is that the drop-off is logarithmic meaning a few dozen feet from the fence and no noise should be heard.
Personally, I would be more concerned about cancer and leukemia, especially in small children, from the energy conversions and transformations causing EMR (like the inverter). Again, these emissions drop off at a logarithmic rate so, for example, hair dryer safe, electric razors not so safe. Holding it against your head, much worse than 6 inches away. Likewise, high wires - pretty safe, funny green boxes that hum - not so safe. Yuge chain-linked transformer yards, really unsafe --- see the one next to HPD on Stiger. Ouch, somebody should get a meter on that building on a hot day when the town is full AC on.
The laws have always been pretty loose on this stuff, good lobbying by the energy market. And in today's climate, I am sure they are even looser. Basically if your skin does not cook, it's OK. Since the effects require years to manifest, pretty hard to get rock-solid evidence. Still, while the noise might not bother me, I would just as soon stay away from any energy conversions at the commercial level.
I know --- tmi ---went through a paranoia phase when the kids were born. Measured everything. Here's some info: https://www.home-biology.com/electromagnetic-radiation/low-frequency-electromagnetic-fields/power-lines-and-transformers
Commenting is no longer available.