For Landowners

Solar Developments on Farmland

Solar developments on farmland use a portion of your land to build a solar energy “farm”. Land is rented from the landowner on a long-term lease basis, around 25 years.

Landowners decide to lease their land to a solar development for a few reasons. Sometimes, they have too much land to farm or portions of their farm have been less productive recently. Such land gets put to good use and passive income is made on each acre leased.

During the life of the solar development, farmers often can utilize the leased lands in some ways; for instance, planting native grasses and flowers to improve pollinator habitat, planting bumper crops or bringing in livestock to graze. At the end of the life of the project, panels and infrastructure are removed and landowners can go back to farming the land.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We find land which is valuable land for the development of a solar energy farm.

    If the landowner is interested in leasing land, RayLand scouts connects to solar developers who eventually builds the project.

  • Landowners can make expect to earn between $1000 and $2,000 per acre of land leased.

    As a very rough example, 150 acres of leased land can earn a landowner $125,000.

  • This depends on the land, any environmental constraints such as wetlands, and the acreage you are able to lease. A typical utility-scale solar development may run anywhere from 30 acres to 100 acres.

  • We are honest and transparent. We care for the land, for the landowners and about pursuing the goal of providing sustainable energy. We believe that good business means each party is well-informed and satisfied.