A new survey suggests neighbours of solar farms would often welcome more.
Most people living near large-scale solar farms in the US are open to having more built nearby, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Sustainable Energy Policy.
The study surveyed 979 residents living within five kilometres of 379 solar projects across 39 states, revealing that 82 per cent either support or are neutral towards additional solar development.
The study challenges the usual ‘Not In My Backyard’ or NIMBY assumptions.
It found that only 18 per cent of neighbours oppose new projects, and that being physically closer to a solar farm didn’t necessarily mean people were less supportive.
Instead, residents’ attitudes were more strongly shaped by how they felt the project affected their local area.
“Perceptions about how LSS helps or hinders community quality of life, landscape aesthetics, residential property values, climate change, and community interests and priorities were especially salient,” the report said.
Feeling that the project improved the area’s quality of life or visual appeal was the strongest factor linked to support. On the other hand, those who saw the solar project every day were less likely to support more – possibly because they felt their area was already hosting more than its fair share of infrastructure.
The projects surveyed ranged from 1 to 328 megawatts in size, averaging about 400 acres (around 160 hectares). Larger projects (above 50 MW) were more likely to attract lower levels of support.
Overall, technical details like project size or distance to residents were much less influential than personal perceptions.
Interestingly, respondents who had solar panels on their own homes were more supportive of large-scale solar, and those with higher education levels were also slightly more positive.
The researchers ran two models – one based on measurable data, the other including personal views.
The model that included people’s opinions and lived experiences explained far more of the variation in support (57 per cent compared to 20 per cent). This shows that how people feel about solar farms matters more than simple facts about where or how big they are.
The findings come as solar deployment in the US accelerates, with 40–70 gigawatts expected to be added each year – equal to more than 1,600 new projects annually.
The authors recommend better community engagement and follow-up studies over time.