Aligned’s newest solar deal used automation to navigate local opposition

A community solar project in western Illinois that once looked dead is now moving forward, using new installation technology to win over local officials. Armoracia Solar, a 7.3-megawatt project, was initially rejected by a county zoning board after neighbors raised concerns about property values, construction disruption, and land use. A Bay Area company called Planted Solar was then brought in to redesign the project.

Planted uses software and specialized robots to fit solar panels tightly around a site's existing hills and terrain, instead of grading the land flat first. This cut the project's footprint from about 26 acres down to 16 acres for the same amount of power. It also let developers push the panels back 225 feet from the neighboring subdivision, well beyond Illinois's 150-foot minimum, and the panels sit lower to the ground, making them less visible from backyards. Those changes were enough for the zoning board to reverse its decision and approve the project this spring. It has since been bought by Aligned Climate Capital and is already under construction, expected to come online later this year.

For homeowners, the story is mostly about how solar developers are adapting to neighborhood pushback over land use and views, concerns that come up often when solar farms are proposed near residential areas. If you live near a proposed solar project, this kind of denser, lower-profile, terrain-hugging design is one option developers may now offer to address setback and visibility complaints, and it's a sign more community solar projects using this approach may be coming to other tight land markets.