Solar site screening report (free)
- Parcel, acres and access
- Nearest transmission lines and voltage
- Slope and buildable area
- Flood zone and wetlands
- Federal credit timing
- Next steps and who to call
Farmers and landowners sizing up a small solar farm
Where is the land you want to check?
Free screen of a parcel for a 1-5 MW solar or battery project: distance to the grid, slope, flood zone, wetlands and the 2027 federal credit deadline.
- Free to read
- No sign-up until the draft
- Hands off to the right door
ePlan fills in
- Parcel and acres
- Distance to transmission
- Slope
- Flood zone
- Wetlands
How it works
Solar site screening report, from one answer
- Enter the land and the acres you could set aside.
- ePlan measures to the grid and maps slope, flood zone and wetlands.
- Moving ahead with federal permits or funds? Start a NEPA environmental assessment draft.
What you get
Solar site screening report and 3 more documents
The check is free. The paperwork after it is drafted at the NEPA environmental assessment door.
Solar lease term summary
- Payments and term
- Decommissioning
- Taxes
- Questions to ask
Desktop critical issues analysis
- Constraints map
- Species and habitat
- Wetlands and waters
- Fatal flaws and permits
NEPA environmental assessment draft
- Purpose and need
- Alternatives
- Affected environment
- Environmental consequences
- Agencies consulted
From public data
What ePlan fills in, and from where
- Parcel and acresRegrid parcel data (county assessor)
- Transmission lines and voltageHIFLD electric power transmission lines
- Slope and elevationUSGS 3D Elevation Program
- Flood zoneFEMA National Flood Hazard Layer
- WetlandsUSFWS National Wetlands Inventory
Dec 31, 2027
is the last placed-in-service date for federal wind and solar credits on projects that began construction after July 4, 2026
Source: 26 U.S.C. 48E(e)(4) and IRS Notice 2025-42
Ready for the paperwork?
Draft a NEPA environmental assessment and FONSI, or an EIS outline, that follows a reference document. Free to read; every unconfirmed fact is marked.
Questions
Solar Farm Site Report: what people ask
Can solar go in a floodplain?
Yes, says DOE, but all electrical equipment has to sit above the projected flood level. Raising it can increase installation cost, and insurance may cost more, so land that doesn't flood is usually the better fit.
Do federal tax credits still apply to a new solar farm?
For wind and solar projects that began construction after July 4, 2026, the federal production and investment credits apply only if the project is placed in service by December 31, 2027. IRS Notice 2025-42 explains how to show when construction began.
Where can I see transmission lines near my land?
EIA points to the Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data (HIFLD) geoplatform for transmission line data and shapefiles. EIA and HIFLD do not publish substation locations.
The rules this door follows
Related doors
Other projects people start from here
Federal projects · NEPA
NEPA environmental assessment
What are you proposing, and where?
Farmers and rural landowners with a solar or battery offer
Solar Land Lease Check
Where is the land in the lease?
Community solar and battery developers filing county permits
Decommissioning plan and bond estimate outline
Which county, and how big is the project?
Small water systems and district staff
Source Water Protection Plan
Which water system is the plan for?
Homeowners whose permit asks for a site plan
Site Plan for a Building Permit
What's the property address?
California · CEQA
CEQA exemption finder
What is the project, and where?
Solar Farm Site Report: check it free
Answer it and ePlan opens the NEPA environmental assessment door, which drafts the paperwork.