As the UK continues its drive toward Net Zero, solar energy has become a familiar sight across the countryside. Fields once dedicated solely to crops and grazing are increasingly becoming home to large solar farms, and with that change has come a growing debate: how can the need for renewable energy be balanced with agriculture?
Our solar farm installation at Point Lane, Pembrokeshire, is a working example of how solar development and farming can not only coexist but also support one another. The 8.6MW solar farm project based in Wales supplies the Kings Cross Estate in London with approximately 40% of their annual electricity demand and delivers carbon savings of around 2,100 tonnes of CO2 each year.
Prior to the solar installation, the land at Point Lane was used for grazing cattle and sheep. Today, the cattle have moved from the plot, but the sheep are able to remain on the land. “The sheep do benefit, taking shelter from the rain and when very hot shelter from the sun” says the landowner at Point Lane. The solar panels offer something a traditional open field can’t, natural shade and protection from the elements.
This dual-use approach, known as agrivoltaics, is gaining traction in the UK. Solar panels can share land with low-growing crops, wildflower meadows and grazing animals.
A More Stable Future for the Farm
Farming has never been a straightforward living. Income is tied to weather, markets and other aspects that are largely beyond a farmer’s control. It is this unpredictability that makes the financial security of solar partnerships a huge benefit to famers to guarantee some reliable income.
“We do benefit from having a reliable income along with the not so reliable income from farming,” the Point Lane landowner states. The steady income provides a financial certainty that many family farms simply don’t have.
Addressing the Concerns
Not everyone is enthusiastic about solar development on farmland, and those concerns deserve honest engagement and debate. The most common concern, being that solar panels are impacting the views of the countryside, and local communities rightly have a say in where and how they are built. The most successful projects tend to be those where developers engage early and openly with the surrounding community and planning officials.
Another concern being that solar panels are a permanent infrastructure and remove productive agricultural land from use indefinitely, which is not always the case. The landowner at Point Lane says, “We are still utilising the grass and can be returned to agriculture in the future”. With careful installation and planning, the solar can be removed at the end of the lease term should all parties agree, making solar inherently reversible.
Noise is another concern that has come up, particularly around the construction phase. Once installed the panels are very quiet, emitting very little noise. During installation, careful planning and considerations are taken to ensure minimal disruption to the community and surrounding areas.
For landowners considering a solar partnership, it is worth noting that not every side will be viable. The ground quality, proximity to grid infrastructure and terms all need thorough scrutiny.
Looking to the Future
When asked about whether they would consider another renewable project, the response at Point Lane is “Yes, I would be happy to consider another renewable project”. That endorsement, from someone that has been through the process start to finish with Shawton Energy, and is now living with the installation day-to-day, is perhaps the most honest available.
The UK government has set ambitious targets for solar deployment as part of its clean energy strategy, and some of that strategy could sit on agricultural land. The question is not really whether solar and farming will share the countryside, it’s how well they will work together
Our installation at Point Lane suggests it can be done thoughtfully. At 8.6MW, it’s a farm scale installation with large estate impact, powering a significant share of one of London’s landmark estates, whilst saving 2,100 tonnes of carbon a year, and at the same time sheep are still able to graze there, and the land taken care of.
