Question 1

How does Sunnyplans rank parcels for solar suitability?

Accepted Answer

Each parcel gets a SunnyScore from a model trained on the geographic features that distinguish built solar farms from unbuilt land — slope, irradiance, distance to grid infrastructure, and similar signals. Parcels are then filtered to those with at least 5 contiguous flat acres outside protected areas and wetlands, and ranked by SunnyScore.

Question 2

What does "qualifying parcel" mean in Vermont?

Accepted Answer

A qualifying parcel has at least 5 contiguous flat acres (slope under 5%) and no overlap with federal protected areas or mapped wetlands. 143 of 232 parcels in Vermont currently meet that bar.