Hempfield OKs 20-acre solar array near intersection of routes 30 and 66

A solar array was approved in Hempfield on about 20 acres south of the Routes 66 and 30 interchange.

The site, a 50-acre property along Everglade Road, is expected to generate about 3 megawatts of electricity and connect to a nearby West Penn Power substation, said township planning manager Matthew Pernelli.

Supervisors approved the plan Monday. The property borders the back side of the Heather Ridge housing development.

Pernelli said the solar panels will be set back at least 150 feet from property lines. Mechanical equipment associated with the project will be screened from view. There is an existing large power line running through the property.

“The reason it’s so advantageous there is because you got the substation right there,” said Supervisor Tom Logan.

It’s unclear how many panels will be constructed.

The 50-acre parcel is a former farm, Logan said. The plan’s applicant was Bill French, regional manager for SunVest Solar. He recently has been involved in a similar proposal on property in Ligonier Township.

SunVest Solar, headquartered in Illinois, has projects in 18 states. The company leases land and said on its website that it plans native vegetation at many of its projects.

It’s the second solar array to be approved in Hempfield in four months.

A 3,000 kilowatt facility is planned by Bear Peak Power on an 86-acre property off Penn Valley Road south of Interstate 70 near Hunker. That facility also will be distributing electricity to West Penn Power.