SOLAR FAQs
Q: WHAT DOES A SOLAR FARM CONSIST OF?
A: All solar farms require:
Sufficient capacity in the local power grid network.
Electrical apparatus on-site including a private substation/transformer and inverters evenly distributed throughout the site. The transformers are approximately 3 metres high.
Panels installed on metal frames screwed directly into the ground – no concrete is used except in a very few sensitive areas.
A clearance gap at least 4 metres between each row of solar panels to allow space for maintenance vehicles, sheep grazing and to prevent shading of panels.
2 metre high perimeter fencing for security required by insurance against theft, safety, and damage. Rural deer fences are usually used so that they blend in well with the surrounding countryside and smaller mammals can still have access to the land enclosed by the solar farm.
Q: WHAT ABOUT GLARE FROM THE SOLAR PANELS?
A: Very little energy is lost through reflection. Glare is minimised through translucent coating materials to improve light transmittance through glass. Grass produces more glare than a PV array.
Q: IS THERE ANY POLLUTION OR NUISANCE ASSOCIATED WITH SOLAR FARMS?
A: Photovoltaic panels convert sunlight into electricity without any discernible noise, vibration, or air or water pollution. The only noise is from inverters which convert the DC power to AC, and they are only audible from a few feet away.
Q: DO THE PANELS REQUIRE MAINTENANCE?
A: The key maintenance is regular check-up to the electrical equipment and management of the land. Encouraging diverse grassland, wildflowers and sheep grazing is the most cost-effective method of land management for most solar farms.
Q: HOW SAFE IS BATTERY STORAGE?
A: Any large-scale battery installation such as is used for storing solar power in the UK must comply with stringent health and safety regulations, both for installation and operation. These energy storage systems, which help match variable electricity generation and supply more efficiently, typically use Lithium Ion batteries, the same type of batteries used safely in mobile phones, laptops and electric vehicles throughout the world, albeit on a larger scale.
They are securely housed with safety measures typically including heating and cooling systems to ensure they operate at safe temperatures; fire detection and suppression systems; and continuous external monitoring so that if any problems arise they are tackled quickly and the system can be isolated.
Lithium Ion energy storage systems are now being installed in cities like London and New York within metres of residents and businesses, and even in Swindon. The units on our solar farms are sited at least 100m from the edge of the solar farm.
Q: HOW IS THE LAND MANAGED WHILE THE SOLAR FARM IS IN OPERATION?
A: A specialist land management team will be employed to maintain the site throughout the operation of the solar farm. The team will be responsible for implementing the landscape strategy that typically includes planting trees, hedges, wildflowers and diverse grasslands and possible sheep grazing. Chemical pesticides and herbicides will be avoided wherever possible, to restore the land organically.
Q: WHAT ABOUT FLOOD RISK?
A: Rain water runoff from the site will not increase from the presence of the panel arrays and it will not displace any floodwater.
Q: IS MORE ENERGY USED TO MAKE THE PANELS THAN THE PANELS PRODUCE?
A: A solar farm is expected to pay back the energy used in manufacture and construction within a year of its 25 to 40 year lifetime.
Q: CAN THE PANELS BE RECYCLED?
A: Nearly 99% of the solar panels are comprised of glass, silica, aluminum, steel, copper and plastic which are largely recyclable with a good salvage value. The costs of recycling the panels and restoring the land at the end of the solar farm’s life is accounted for in the overall project budget from the outset.
Q: DO SOLAR FARMS AFFECT PROPERTY VALUES?
A: As all our sites will be well screened from neighbouring properties there is no reason to expect property values to be negatively affected.
Q: WHAT IMPACT DO SOLAR FARMS HAVE ON FOOD PRODUCTION?
A: Very little. Climate change and the decline in pollinators, such as bees, pose a far greater threat to food production – these can both be mitigated by solar farms. The land can continue to be used for sheep grazing and beekeeping.
Solar Energy UK research shows that to achieve the government’s 2035 70GW solar target would use only 0.29% of the UK’s total land area - less than is currently occupied by golf courses. The National Farmers’ Union is generally supportive of solar and co-published these guidelines: BRE (2014) Agricultural Good Practice Guidance for Solar Farms.
Q: WHY CAN’T LOCAL RESIDENTS GET CHEAPER ELECTRICITY FROM A SOLAR FARM IN THE UK?
A: While our US community solar farms all offer local residents the ability to save 10% on their electricity bills, the way the UK energy market is regulated does not currently allow that. This may change in the future thanks to the Local Electricity Bill which has been introduced into parliament and would allow electricity generators to become electricity suppliers. You can lend your support through Power for People’s campaign.
Q: WHY NOT BUILD SOLAR PANELS ON BROWNFIELD LAND OR ROOFTOPS?
A: We would like to see every new domestic and all new and existing commercial rooftops in the UK have solar panels. However retrofitting commercial rooftops is often prohibited by insurmountable technical and financial difficulties, such as extremely high business rates. We also support building solar farms on brownfield land, however the vast majority has a much higher value for commercial or residential development so is not viable for solar development. Lower value semi-brownfield sites such as former airfields may be hindered by lack of viable grid connections or planning designations.
Such sites represent a tiny fraction of the land area the UK needs for solar to meet its carbon targets by 2050. The government’s target of 70GW by 2035 requires at least a four-fold increase in solar installation.
Q: WHY DO WE NEED SOLAR IF WE HAVE OFFSHORE WIND?
A: Electricity demand is expected to at least double by 2035 as transport and heating switch from fossil fuels to electricity. We need to produce new green power as cheaply as possible. While offshore wind is an important part of the government’s Net Zero plans, solar is also key and, as a relatively long-established technology can generate power at a lower cost without subsidies, so can help to bring down everyone’s energy bills.
Q: HOW POPULAR ARE SOLAR FARMS?
A: Government surveys consistently show that solar is the most popular renewable technology in the UK, with 85-90% of the public supporting it.