Solar Classroom
If you want to learn more about how solar projects operate, this is a good place to start!
Panel Composition
Solar panels are composed of silicon solar cells confined between glass with a metal frame. The silicon, glass, and metal framing used to manufacture solar panels are non-toxic. The interior components of solar panels are entirely solid and made primarily from silicon and metal so there are no liquids or gases that risk polluting the environment.
Solar PV is a technology used to convert sunlight to electricity. Solar panels will be used and designed to achieve optimal energy production on the Branch Line Solar Project. Several solar cells are electrically connected and mounted in a support structure or frame, which is called a photovoltaic (PV) module. Photovoltaic modules and arrays produce direct-current (DC) electricity.
Inverters convert the direct current (DC) electricity from the solar panel into alternating current (AC) electricity, so it can be added to the utility grid system.
The electricity generated will be collected on-site using underground cables to the project substation. The project substation will aggregate the energy so it can be fed onto the grid and includes a transformer that converts – or “steps up” – the electricity to the same voltage carried by the grid transmission lines.
Land Stewardship
Branch Line Solar will maintain and protect the leased land during the operating term of the Project, after which it will revert to the owner’s control and be available again for traditional farming after full decommissioning of the site. Solar development and traditional agriculture can co-exist side-by-side, and increasingly are found together. Responsible solar development provides benefits to both agriculture and local ecosystems by improving soil health over time, increasing biodiversity, retaining water and topsoil with deep-rooted vegetation, and nurturing native pollinators which support local food production.
Agriculture
Kansas farmers produce world-class products. As stewards of the land, they understand the need to balance productivity and environmental protection. Branch Line Solar will be built primarily on agricultural land, and while the product produced is not traditionally agricultural, it generates a necessary, renewable product, and continues the tradition of Kansas’s agricultural leadership. Clean solar energy is produced without causing air or water pollution and provides a stable revenue stream for farmers, their families, and the local community. At the end of the Project’s operating term, the land will be once again available for traditional agriculture.