Is it okay for solar power stations to occupy arable land

How much land do solar farms occupy?

Currently solar farms occupy less than 0.1% of the UK’s land. To meet the government’s net zero target, the Climate Change Committee estimates that we will need 90GW of solar by 2050 (70GW by 2035), which would mean solar farms would at most account for approximately 0.6% of UK land – less than the amount currently occupied by golf courses.

Should solar farms be located on low quality land?

However, there is a need to strike a balance between food security and climate ambitions. Planning guidance states that, wherever possible, large scale solar farm development should be located on lower quality agricultural land, avoiding the most productive and versatile soils.” NFU.

Can you build a solar farm on agricultural land?

While obtaining planning consent for ground-mounted solar farms on agricultural land can be challenging – Andrew Shirley, our Head of Rural Research, advises it can “easily take ten years to get a scheme off the ground” - rural properties often feature large barns with roofs suitable for solar panel installations.

Should ground mounted solar farms be based on land type?

While policy directs ground mounted solar farms to areas of previously developed or lower grade agricultural land, where such opportunities exist, it also recognises that land type should not be the overriding factor governing site suitability.

Do solar farms use less land?

As the chart below demonstrates, existing solar farms (dark yellow) currently use less land than golf courses (red) and airports (orange), which cover 1,256km2 and 493km2, respectively.

Is solar energy a good option for land use?

However, recent studies based on satellite views of utility-scale solar energy (USSE) under operation, either in the form of photovoltaics (PV) or concentrated solar power (CSP), show that their land use efficiency (LUE) is up to six times lower than initial estimates 17, 18, 19.