The application identifies the current land uses as mostly pasture and hay production, with some areas recently cleared via timbering. There does not appear to be any mention of brownfelds in the application, and DEP mine maps do not show any mining at that site. The PSC granted approval in October.

The Sierra Club supported the application, with a few conditions, most of which were included in the final siting certificate.

Jim Kotcon

My examination of “Grandview Rd, District 3, WV” (suburban Beckley) on Google maps doesn’t show anything which a clearly a brownfield site. This might be cutting woodlands or using farmland.

“estimated total construction cost for the solar farm is more than $90 million.”
“The county is now set to receive $2 million under the plan.”
Payment in lieu of taxes – about 2.2%

I’m not speaking in opposition, but …

From CéléWatt, PV Magazine, November 16, 2020

SUMMARY — French cooperative Céléwatt and engineering company Mécojit are building a new, 250 kW solar park in southwestern France. The solar panels are installed on a raw wood structure, sourced from the surrounding forests, to promote local employment and a regional natural resource.

French cooperative Céléwatt has started construction on a small-sized solar park in Carayac, a commune in the Lot department in southwestern France.

The 250 kW ground-mounted array, scheduled for completion in 2021, is built entirely on mounting structures made of raw oak wood. “Our original idea was to promote local employment and natural resources,” Bertrand Delpeuch, the president of Céléwatt, told pv magazine. “As we had no room for maneuver on the origin of our 746 monocrystalline panels, which are delivered to us from China by the company Talesun, we decided to focus on the poles.”

Some 600 oak wooden structures were used in the solar plant.

This region in the Lot department is indeed rich in oak forests. This straight and solid wood, about 15cm in diameter, is traditionally used as a bouchot (breeding support) for the culture of mussels in Charente-Maritime. “Replacing the galvanized steel supports of the solar park with raw wood from forests about 30km from here, this saves the extraction of ore and its transport from China, then its transformation, which is carried out in Portugal,” Delpeuch explained.

Céléwatt called on the engineering company Mécojit in Capdenac-Gare, with which it had already built another solar park. “It was a real gamble at the start,” recalls Olivier Saintignan, project manager at Mécojit. “To our knowledge, this is the first example of a solar plant with untreated, unprocessed wooden support.”

The project constraints are numerous, as the wood is not milled in a sawmill and the developer must take into account its different sections and imperfections. “Then you have to mount the structure on uneven ground,” said the engineer.

The project is being built without public support and will sell power to French energy cooperative Enercoop at a price of €0.08/kWh.

The first prototype comprises fixed connections and metal brackets at right angles. “It did not work,” said Saintignan. “The pivot links had to be able to move together to adjust the heights and create a plane.” Finally, the connections by bolting and the bores, are made directly in the field and the assembly is made by bolted threaded rod, which allows movement between the parts. The PV panels are fixed on an omega purlin, which has the ability to deform and dampen the natural movements of the wood.

To maximize the mechanical characteristics of the rough wood, the 600 oaks are cut out of the growing season, and to avoid any discontinuity in the fibers. As the trees are small in cross section, they were skidded over the shoulder by a local company, Le petit oak noir. “We have succeeded in employing several companies in the region,” Delpeuch added.

Céléwatt claims that everything has also been done to optimize the duration over time. “This is a very resistant and endogenous wood species, which will not fear weather fluctuations,” continued Saintignan. “The structure is made to adapt to the movement of the wood.”

While the risk of fungal colonization has been minimized, simple parts replacement solutions have also been provided. The stability of the panels will be checked every three years with visual inspection of the resistance of the wood, and a general overhaul will be carried out during the ten-year maintenance.

For Mécojit, what was initially a gamble has become a new outlet, marketed under the “Mécowood” brand, which the company would like to promote in other projects. “This raw wood table can have many other applications, such as the integration of solar panels in a wood storage shed or a heat pump … The possibilities are numerous,” assured Saintignan.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/11/16/solar-park-built-on-rough-wooden-structures-in-france/

From a Report by Zach Yack, WOAY, November 10, 2020

RALEIGH COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – The Raleigh County Board of Zoning Appeals approved a conditional use permit for a new solar farm.

The solar farm will be constructed in the Grand View area of Raleigh County and be operated by Raleigh Solar. The solar farm will be used in addition to other sources of electricity such as fossil fuels, but the solar farm will be able to provide enough energy to power 16,000 homes. The solar farm will also add to Raleigh County’s economy.

“This will bring in an incremental two million dollars in tax revenue for Raleigh County, an extra three and a half million dollars to the state of West Virginia via the business and occupancy tax, and it will create 150-200 construction jobs,” said Project Principal Jay Schoenberger.

“They will be paying millions of dollars in wages, not to mention during construction there will be a lot of increased traffic at hotels, restaurants, and gas stations.”

The next steps for the project for Raleigh Solar to submit their storm water application, finalize the design of the site, and then start construction.

https://woay.com/raleigh-county-board-of-zoning-appeals-approves-solar-farm/