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Use Permit process within the Agricultural (A), Light Industrial (LI), and Heavy <br />Industrial (HI) Zoning Districts, and with a minimum lot size of thirty —two (32) acres. <br />C) Potential Benefits of Solar Farms: The following are recognized benefits of solar farms: <br />They make virtually no noise or waste and have virtually no moving parts, and <br />maintenance is minimal; they generate electricity locally and feed into the local electric <br />grid using a free source of energy (the sun) to generate electricity on bright cloudy days <br />as well as from direct sunlight; there is no by product or waste generated, except during <br />manufacturing or dismantling; solar farms can help fight climate change; fewer fossil <br />fuels are burned; solar energy is a clean, renewable energy source; large solar farms <br />produce enough energy to provide clean energy to buildings that don't have their own <br />solar —energy systems; the American Southwest receives strong year —round sunlight, <br />making it ideal for solar farms; solar farms can also be used to provide voltage control to <br />wind turbines, thereby allowing more wind energy to enter the grid at night, when solar <br />farms are dormant. <br />D) Limitation: When solar farm land is isolated, said solar farm could likely require <br />transmission lines to be extended relatively long distances to deliver the power to where <br />it is needed. <br />E) Community Protection: (1) General: Just as there are with many kinds of land uses, the <br />literature has indicated that solar farms may have health hazards. However, the Specific <br />Use Permit (SUP) process in conjunction with performance standards and other <br />requirements can reduce or eliminate many kinds of problematic components of solar <br />farms. (2) Performance Standards: Performance Standards are currently referenced in <br />certain parts of the Paris Zoning Ordinance. These kinds of controls are common in <br />zoning ordinances throughout the United States. In addition to the existing performance <br />standards, and regarding solar farm requirements, staff is recommending additional <br />performance standards protection as well. (3) Health Considerations Regarding Solar <br />Energy: The literature regarding solar farms has described the following potential health <br />hazards regarding solar energy. Some toxic materials and chemicals are used in the <br />manufacturing process of photovoltaic (PV) cells. Some solar thermal systems use <br />potentially hazardous fluids to transfer heat. U.S. environmental laws regulate the use <br />and disposal of these types of materials. Materials presently used for photovoltaics <br />include monocrystalline silicon, silicon dust (by- product), polycrystalline silicon, <br />microcrystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, and copper indium selenide /sulfate. OSHA <br />has many standards that control such hazards. Modern solar systems use components that <br />radiate radio frequency electromagnetic radiation which can cause some mild symptoms <br />of headaches to electrically sensitive persons living in close proximity to the solar source. <br />RECOMMENDATION: Approve the definition of a solar farm and approve solar farms only <br />through the Specific Use Permit process within the Agricultural, Light Industrial, and Heavy <br />