In the United States, the rise in solar energy project proposals is meeting growing opposition from communities raising concerns about Not in My Backyard (NIMBY). Researchers at Columbia University are monitoring local bans on renewable energy projects. In the past year alone, state bans increased 111%, local bans increased 16%, and contested projects increased 29%. These objections often stem from misinformation about sustainable energy projects and skepticism about the economic benefits.
However, successful partnerships between engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies and solar developers are paving the way to overcome these challenges. Partnerships demonstrate how aligning community education, local workforce initiatives, and sustainable land practices can turn community concerns into support.
EPC Developer Partnerships: Building Bridges to Community
McCarthy’s Renewable Energy & Storage team packages and delivers truckloads of food to local food banks, responding to the needs of communities near solar projects. McCarthy Construction Companies
Effective collaboration between EPC companies and solar developers can have a profound impact on community acceptance and cultivate support for solar projects. EPC companies bring expertise in project management, design, construction, revegetation and soil management, as well as workforce development and community involvement. Developers specialize in securing land and project financing, as well as community and government relations. Together they form a powerful team to address community concerns, convey economic benefits and ensure solar projects align with local values.
Given the growing NIMBY trend, it is critical that EPC developer teams coordinate their efforts and collaborate with the communities in which they build. McCarthy works with developer partners to create community-specific outreach plans for projects, including initiatives such as community forums, tours, community partnerships, and detailed project information materials that answer frequently asked questions.
In addition to meeting with community leaders and local authorities, a best practice is to organize community forums early on where the EPC development team can educate and inform the community about solar projects, answer questions, listen to and respond to concerns, while members get to know and explain how a project aligns with local values. These are also excellent locations for explaining safety measures, employment and environmental safeguards, such as revegetation and stormwater management plans.
Community forums have proven effective in correcting misinformation and enabling site plan adjustments, when necessary, to accommodate community requests. For example, community meetings led to McCarthy amending site plans to provide for wildlife migration corridors; incorporating landscape perimeters that protect the arrays; fire safety training for first responders; and involving the local workforce. This proactive approach helps more people understand the value of solar projects and dispels the myths that often fuel resistance.
Building economic resilience
Smart developers see the benefit of partnering with EPCs to help solve the community adoption crisis if for no other reason than EPCs create jobs – a top selling point for any solar project. How EPCs communicate about those jobs, how they hire, and the economic benefits that jobs and tax revenue bring to communities can make or break a project’s approval. Developers can no longer afford to apply for permits without the significant leverage that an EPC can bring.
EPCs with strong strategic communications, recruitment and training programs understand how to tap into community influencers and know how to engage staff in a way that gets the attention of local officials. For example, McCarthy conducts extensive local outreach activities to recruit, hire and train people who live near his solar projects. The company’s training program is aimed at people of all experience levels and has become a gateway for those interested in pursuing new career opportunities. By broadcasting these opportunities through local media, trade and business organizations and career fairs, McCarthy’s solar training program has helped develop the company’s workforce. Many who start in solar construction find their way into building schools, hospitals and other critical facilities.
The local workforce also provides valuable insight into local needs and concerns. It is common practice for McCarthy to hire area residents for administrative positions on solar projects. As community members, they are excellent resources for connecting with area businesses, schools and community leaders and expanding a project’s impact through food drives, holiday toy drives and career day events.
Stimulate research
Establishing relationships with local businesses is another useful strategy. Whether it means hiring a local fencing company or a restaurant to cater on-site events, these actions support other local jobs and invite more community members to participate, learn and benefit from the solar energy -industry.
In addition, EPCs partner with veterans organizations to assist in the hiring and training of U.S. veterans returning to civilian life. Veterans bring with them a range of technical and logistical skills that are well suited to the demands of solar installations, and training programs offer these individuals a new, stable and meaningful career. Veteran deployment has strong resonance among communities and others deeply connected to the military. Research shows that local farmers, veterans, and business owners are trusted sources of information in rural communities and that by engaging them they become effective messengers to develop community support.
Addressing misconceptions about environmental impact
Another concern expressed by some NIMBYs concerns incorrect beliefs about the environmental and safety risks of solar farms. The science is beyond dispute: solar panels are safe. Concerns about pollutants are rooted in misinformation.
In Nevada, revegetation and topsoil preparation efforts are beginning. McCarthy Construction Companies
Solar panels are designed with durable, non-toxic materials, including glass, aluminum and silicon, that pose no risk to groundwater. Communicating this information to communities is essential for EPC development teams and helps reduce environmental concerns. To achieve this, project teams can take a variety of approaches, including tours, information mailers, community discussions and other grassroots initiatives.
Another common myth concerns the disposal of solar panels at the end of their lifespan. While panels have a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years, panel manufacturers and the industry have proactively established extensive recycling programs. Companies like First Solar operate recycling facilities that recover more than 90% of the materials used in solar panels, including glass and semiconductors, which can be used to manufacture new panels. In addition, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has implemented a national recycling program, working with industry partners to provide responsible, effective disposal options.
Companies with a long history in the industry and a strong commitment to sustainability, like McCarthy, have streamlined the recycling process to ensure that damaged panels are recycled rather than thrown away. These initiatives underline the industry’s commitment to sustainability and rebut the misconception that solar panels will become a burden on the environment in the future.
Revegetation and land restoration: more than solar panels
Revegetation of native plants at a solar project in Texas. McCarthy Construction Companies
An often overlooked benefit of solar energy projects is the potential for land restoration and revegetation. Solar farms are increasingly integrating sustainable land management practices that improve soil health, promote biodiversity and prevent erosion.
Developing and implementing an effective revegetation plan can have measurable economic benefits for the surrounding community. Healthier soils and greater biodiversity can improve agricultural yields in neighboring areas.
Revegetation plans are something that McCarthy horticultural experts initiate prior to construction. These plans include plantings that benefit pollinating insect and mammal species and include both vegetative and flowering species. Seed mixes, planted under and around solar panels, are designed to address site-specific conditions and the unique challenges of solar energy, while also helping to restore soil, provide pollinator habitat and minimize soil erosion.
These efforts not only mitigate the impact of solar installations, they also improve the land and create a mutually beneficial relationship between renewable energy, agriculture and environmental conservation, which is especially beneficial in rural areas.
Benefits that go beyond solar energy
Despite the challenges posed by the NIMBY stance, successful EPC developer partnerships that prioritize community outreach have proven effective in addressing community issues, dispelling myths, and demonstrating the tangible benefits of solar projects. Solar energy can become a welcome addition to communities by not shying away from the NIMBY opposition of each project and helping more people understand this vital industry.
Ultimately, successful solar projects go beyond generating clean energy: they are a key component of America’s diverse and reliable energy infrastructure, they help restore landscapes, and they provide career opportunities in a fast-growing industry.