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Do Communities Really Benefit from Solar Projects?

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There is always high praise in the media for solar energy projects and doubtless, they are good for the environment. But what about the communities with the solar power installations? Are they benefiting from these facilities? Are there any drawbacks to living so close to them? Read on to find out all the different aspects of living in a solar-powered community.

There are some ways other than financial that communities can benefit from solar power. For instance, remote and inaccessible areas can have electrical power despite the lack of on-grid facilities. Companies such as Greenshine New Energy offer a wide variety of solar lights which do not require any grid access. However, lights are not the only thing that you can power with solar energy and solar panels. Entire homes and communities can get direct and clean energy straight from the sun. But let’s focus on the large solar systems which feed into the grid and inspect their influence on the nearby communities.

Construction

The first impact you can expect starts with the construction of the facility itself. Solar farms are typically large and they require a lot of support facilities. This is the time when laborers from the local communities can find work as construction workers. These facilities take long to make, sometimes as long as 5 years. During all that time, construction workers are earning wages and are able to support their families while working locally. The number of workers is also not unremarkable, either. With laborers, supervisors, engineers and other profiles required to be on the site, the number rises to thousands of workers.

Local Infrastructure

Large construction projects require good infrastructure; roads and electrical grid need to be available and able to support the increased usage. This is why solar companies often work closely with local officials on improving the infrastructure. Once the construction is completed, the infrastructure remains in the hands of the local residents.

Tax Returns

Having a high-grossing company in your local community is always beneficial. These companies pay significant sums of money as tax, both local and federal ones. Furthermore, these companies need large numbers of workers to keep them operational. Specifically, solar plants need not only solar engineers but also unskilled maintenance workers, security guards and a myriad of other job profiles. They either come from the local communities, or they settle in these communities. There they spend their wages in local businesses, further supporting the community.

However you cut it, solar power plants are beneficial for the communities they are situated in. They have no negative environmental impact on the environment like some other electricity production methods, but they do bring money to the residents, both directly – through wages, and indirectly -through taxes. Furthermore, subsidized cost of electricity from renewable energy sources can mean a lot smaller electricity bill which is a nice bonus.

Greenshine New Energy can be found at
72 Fairbanks, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
949-609-9636

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