Getting quotes in Montague, TX (76251), solar array partially shading stock pond

Going to be buying about 23 acres in Montague, TX (76251) and wanted to think about doing solar on the property. Land slopes downward east to west.

Short story before I start deep diving into everything and I’ll try to reply to all comments, I’ve read up some (I know a lot about solar in general, I actually work on some newer technologies that will be commercialized in the next few years, but to put it short, I’m a chemical engineer), but consider me a newbie to installations.

So anyway, land has a decent size stock pond that I’m going to be doing some earth work on and utilizing for irrigation of the lower 16 acres to grown and orchard and sustainable farmland on. I’ll need to get out the exact measurements and will edit later this weekend.

Nothing built on the land, but thinking of building a solar array to shade the pond to help with evaporation during the summer months. No idea how big of a pain in the ass this will be, but I know they are doing this over waterways to help prevent evaporation in various locations elsewhere.

I’m totally pulling these numbers out of my ass for the moment, but the pond in my mind is likely going to be square shaped (currently elliptic) and something like 150×75 ft and vary in depth from about 2ft to 6ft based upon the slope of the field.

I’m not asking anyone to do the heavy lifting and research for me, I’m going to be diving into it this weekend after I get some other work that has priority done, but I wanted to get this post up since I’m thinking about it at the moment.

Nothing is on the land currently, I close on it next Friday and I won’t immediately need the power or anything like that. I’ll be building a decent sized shop, probably 60×40 (I’ll get to what I do in there in a minute). Deciding on what type of house to build, may go with container type house, I’ve always liked them and between my brother, a couple friends and myself we build all our stuff and I’ve seen some cool designs and watch various YouTube builders (but won’t be living out there full time for another year or so)

Back to the shop. Basically I build stuff and want to build out some crazier stuff now that I’m going to have the ability with this land, this is where power generation comes into mind.

I will be doing various forms of engineering, including getting a larger CNC, milling machine, build a forge for iron works, glass shop for doing scientific glass as well as learn the art. I’m also working with a materials engineering company, but want to have the ability to basically have a laboratory at the shop so I’m going to be using a decent bit of power.

I’m trying to get the specs on energy usage from my old boss on the lab power usage/month to kinda gather an idea on what sized array I would be shooting for. I’ve got no clue right now so I’m not even going to estimate, but with ventilation, precise temperature/humidity controls, some vacuum and pressure systems, etc you can imagine already that it’s not just an every day build out.

Anyway, wanted to get this post up and a dialogue started in case people wanted to chime in.

I’ll say I appreciate any help in advance, some things will definitely change, but you can kind of imagine what I’m going for, I think… Don’t know at the moment how the array spans across the water, pretty much everything can be changed, just know that shading to prevent evaporation so I’m not using so much water is kind of a critical part of the idea because I’m attempting to be as environmentally consciousness from the start of this endeavor.

Thanks!

TL;DR- starting to get an idea of what solar array to build that will partially shade an irrigation stock pond in a big ass field