Construction at Lake County solar energy farm begins

A local company is building the largest solar panel farm in the state in Lake County.

Crews started putting the first solar panels in place after a groundbreaking ceremony Monday to celebrate the new Sorrento Solar Farm.

BlueChip Energy, a company based out of Seminole County, is installing solar panels that will eventually cover more than 200 acres of an open field off County Road 437.

"There is no other energy on the planet which can compete with solar in environmental friendliness," said BlueChip Energy CEO Demitri Nikitin.

Despite the benefits of going green, some people living nearby were against the solar farm at first.

Carol White and her husband live right next to the property.

They feared losing the rural landscape they enjoy gazing out on with their granddaughter.

"That's what upset us the most in the beginning," White said. "Why here in the middle of a little community, a small town?"

Nikitin said the property was a perfect fit because both Progress Energy and SECO have utility substations at the site that allow the power to go directly into the grid and to the utility companies' customers.

BlueChip Energy is also looking at installing solar panels on another 300 acres that the city of Eustis owns next to the current solar panel farm site.

The solar energy created from the entire project would eventually be enough to power over 20,000 homes.

Nikitin said solar energy allows them to harness the power of the sun without hurting the environment or permanently altering the land.

"With the same ease as we can put the solar farm in the ground, we can remove it," Nikitin said.

White said she still has some concerns, but has come to grips with the development because she thinks going green will be worth it in the long run.

"We have to do what's best for the future for little ones like this," White said looking at her granddaughter.

BlueChip Energy estimates the entire project could create as many as 500 jobs during construction over the next couple years.

That figure includes people the company hires to manufacture the solar panels at its headquarters in Lake Mary.