For landowners
Leasing your land for solar
How a solar lease works, what makes a site a good fit, and the questions you should ask any developer, including us.
Is my land a fit?
What we look for in a site
We're interested in properties of every size. If your land isn't a perfect match, send us the address anyway. We look at every property, and checking costs you nothing.
- Flat, open land with little tree cover or shade.
- Farmland of any kind, whether it's tilled, in hay or in pasture.
- Land near power lines. A three-phase line is easiest to connect to, and poles carrying three main wires across the top usually mean three-phase power.
- Large ponds and other bodies of water, which can host floating solar arrays. We're not building these yet, but we'd like to hear about them.
How it works
From first conversation to restored land
Conversation
We walk the property with you, answer your questions, and tell you plainly if the site won't work.
Option agreement
You grant us the right to lease the land later, for a set study period. Option agreements usually include a payment to you while we study the grid connection and seek permits.
Lease
If the studies and permits work out, the lease begins. Rent is typically paid each year, based on the acres used.
Construction
Building the array takes a few months. We agree on access routes and timing with you in advance.
Operation
The array produces power for decades. We handle maintenance, mowing and repairs, and stay your point of contact.
Decommissioning
At the end of the lease, we remove the equipment and restore the soil, funded as the lease specifies.
What stays the same
It's still your land
- You keep ownership of the property.
- You can farm or use the acres outside the fence.
- The lease sets out exactly what access we need, and when.
Before you sign anything
Questions to ask any solar developer
- Who will own the project after it's built?
- How is removal paid for if the owner goes out of business?
- What happens to my payments if the project is sold?
- Who pays any increase in property taxes?
- How long is the option period, and what do you pay during it?
- What access will you need to the rest of my land?
We'll answer every one of these in writing.
Common questions
Landowner FAQ
Does it cost me anything?
No. We pay for the site studies, utility applications, permits, construction and eventual removal.
How much of my land would a project use?
It depends on the property and how much power the local grid can accept. Some projects use a few acres and others use much more. The array sits inside a fenced area, and the rest of your property stays yours to use.
Can I keep farming?
Yes, outside the fenced area. We plan access roads and construction timing around planting, harvest and livestock.
What is a decommissioning bond?
It's a financial guarantee that sets money aside to remove the equipment and restore the land, even if the project owner can no longer pay. Many townships require one, and it should be written into the lease either way.
What happens if I sell the land or pass it on?
A solar lease usually stays with the property. The new owner receives the lease payments and the same protections.
What about my mineral, oil or gas rights?
A solar lease covers the surface. How it treats anything below the surface depends on the wording, so we review that section with you line by line.
Will my property taxes change?
That depends on how the project is assessed. A good lease says plainly who pays any increase, and we'll walk through it for your parcel.
How long before anything is built?
Often a few years. Utility studies and local permits take time, and the option period exists so we can complete them before construction starts.
Have land you're curious about?
Send the address or parcel number. We'll tell you plainly whether it could work, at no cost and with no obligation.
Ask about your land