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– FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
who is engie?
ENGIE North America constructs, operates and owns renewable energy projects throughout North America. With decades of experience in providing customized energy solutions for communities nationwide while creating jobs, economic opportunities, and trusted community partnerships along the way. To learn more about ENGIE, visit our website.
why solar?
Demand for renewable energy has grown dramatically with more than 200 companies worldwide making commitments to go 100% renewable. Because solar energy is clean, reliable, and affordable, it has earned the spot as the fastest-growing source of electricity in the world.
What types of sounds are common for neighbors to hear?
Solar panels themselves are completely silent; however, inverters and transformers on a solar farm will generate low levels of sound. Studies show that direct noise from a solar facility reaches around 30 dBA, the equivalent to the ambient noise level at night in a rural area noise from solar inverters are imperceptible to nearby residents.
what will copper box solar look like?
The visual impacts of a solar farm to the surrounding community are very minimal. At Copper Box Solar, due to the natural vegetation and topography of the site, surrounding roadways and residences will have very limited views of the facility. We’ve proactively identified the areas that may experience visibility and have added an additional setback and vegetative screening to protect neighbors’ views.
will this project raise my power bills?
Copper Box Solar will not raise local electricity prices. In fact, the cost of solar power has dropped by more than 70% since 2010 and is now one of the lowest-cost options for electricity generation. Solar power also has the benefit of producing electricity during the times of day when demand and power costs are the highest. On a midsummer afternoon, for example, when homes and businesses are running their air conditioners at full power, a solar facility is generating at full power as well, which helps close the gap between electricity supply and electricity demand. This has the effect of lowering electricity costs across the board.
where will the power generated from the project go?
The power from Copper Box Solar will be delivered into the local Indiana electrical grid, helping to diversify Indiana’s energy portfolio.
what happens if the solar farm goes out of use?
As part of the permitting process, ENGIE must provide a complete, detailed decommissioning plan that is funded by an irrevocable form of financial security to cover decommissioning costs. This ensures that money is always available to remove the solar farm if or when it is no longer operable.
what happens to solar panels at the end of their life?
At the end of a solar facility’s useful life—estimated to be about 30 years on average—panels can be removed and recycled. Recycling programs are being developed that are expected to recover about 90% of the materials used in the panels, much of which is glass.
how will copper box solar generate energy in the winter? will it be impacted by heavy show or extreme cold?
Sunny cold weather is actually an ideal condition for solar panels to perform optimally. A light dusting of snow has little impact on the panels and can be easily blown off by the wind. Because panels are tilted at an angle, snow will also slide off of panels over time, cleaning the panel as it melts and slides off. After heavier snowfalls panels will be cleared by facility employees.
what happens to neighboring property values?
Based on ENGIE’S extensive research and analyses of the existing solar farm uses, the surrounding areas, and an extensive market database, the data concludes that no consistent negative impact has occurred to adjacent property that could be attributed to proximity to the adjacent solar farm. Recent research on the impact of solar farms on property values supports the conclusion that solar facilities do not decrease property values. Furthermore, there is no discernable impact on property values regardless of whether solar farms are located near residential, agricultural, or industrial properties.
