The Planning Board held its third hearing on BlueWave Solar’s plans for a 4.99-megawatt solar array on farmland located along Roaring Brook Road in Conway, according to the Recorder. The application for the project on Ronald Boyden’s property describes a system featuring solar panels set 10 feet above the ground, a battery energy storage system, a 20-foot-wide gravel access road, and a stormwater basin.
Planning Board Reviews 20-Acre Solar Proposal on Farmland
Melinda Costello, a civil engineer with Weston & Sampson, stated that the solar farm would operate as a dual-use system, allowing landowners to continue farming the site with animals grazing under the panels, which would be spaced to allow sunshine to reach the field. The panels would track the sun throughout the day rather than remaining fixed, with energy flowing into the local electric grid.
Resident Concerns and Board Review of Developer Responses
During the first two public hearings, residents raised concerns regarding the safety of the battery energy storage system and the visual impact of the array on Ronald Boyden’s farmland along Route 116. In response, BlueWave submitted 202 pages of responses to questions and concerns to the Planning Board. The board responded to frustrated residents by continuing the matter to a fourth hearing to allow members time to review the documentation.
Screening and landscaping requirements also drew discussion during the proceedings. Planning Board Chair George Forcier noted that original plans included a single line of plantings along the northern boundary, while a new homeowner expressed concern about the view. Costello stated that revised plans enhanced screening with landscaping that complies with the town’s solar facility bylaw, which mandates a 30-foot screen of native trees and shrubs for large-scale solar facilities.
Disputes Over Site Slopes and Regulations
Discussions during the hearing also addressed the commercial solar photovoltaic system bylaw requirement that systems sit on slopes with grades of less than 15%. Costello and Planning Board members utilized different calculations to determine the slope of the proposed array.
Costello claimed that the foundation points of the array sit on slopes between 5% and 10%. In contrast, board members stated that the proposed array rests on slopes exceeding 15%.
Broader Debates on Greenfield and Rooftop Installations
Discussions regarding greenfield solar developments have brought forward contrasting perspectives on alternative placement locations. Simon De La Rue, commercial director for renewable energy company Little Green Energy, noted that putting panels on houses involves obstacles such as dormer windows reducing roof space, which limits the number of panels that can be installed, according to the BBC.
De La Rue stated that for the same labor, wiring, and access costs, rooftop installations can result in high levelized costs of energy while failing to meet a property’s electrical demands. He suggested that panel installations on greenfield sites should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis while incorporating good planting policies for biodiversity and low-impact underground infrastructure.
