Sunak to snooker Solar

[dan_b]

Oh good grief

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... lar-panels

[Tinbum]

I agree with that.

Farmland should be for farming not solar farming.

Put panels on industrial roofs first.

[Mart]

Yet more anti-RE garbage from this Gov.

If this is the same idea/policy suggestion as before, then it was to remove land classed as 3b from PV use. Better farming land is already protected, and I think something like 80% of PV farms aim at 3b. 3b land can only be used for some cereals, and grass / grazing.

PV farms on 3b land can still be used for grazing, encourage more types of wildflowers, pollinators for the surrounding area, and improve soil quality over time.

The amount of land in question is tiny. Going back to the old example, purely for comparison, it would take PV covering approx 2% of England to generate the equivalent of the UK's leccy consumption. I remember testing this a decade ago, and it's correct*, or was, based on 250Wp panels, so less now. The reason this is important, is because about 2% of England is covered in golf courses, and golf related land use. So if the tiny amount of food lost (if any is) is important, then how about we trade golf for PV, or perhaps combine the two ...... can't see a problem with that - FORE!

*That's land area based on the surface area of a PV panel. The panel would actually cover less less land as it would be pitched on an angle, but you also need to account for the areas between, unless farmed/grazed.

[MoSTiE]

I agree with that.

Farmland should be for farming not solar farming.

Put panels on industrial roofs first.

I agree, you cant grow much on a roof

[Stinsy]

I agree with that.

Farmland should be for farming not solar farming.

Put panels on industrial roofs first.

+1

[chris_n]

I agree with that.

Farmland should be for farming not solar farming.

Put panels on industrial roofs first.

+1

When I was facilities engineer, I was approached about solar a number of times. I always flat out refused, we had enough trouble keeping water out on a 15 year old steel roof as it was. A leak in the wrong place could easily stop the plant for a long time or if it was in the stores destroy enough components to stop the plant for a long time. When you are doing just in time deliveries into Automotive you don't want to be stopping their plant because they are waiting for your parts, it gets very expensive. I suspect if I was still doing that job the car park would have been covered by solar canopies by now though.

[Paul_F]

I agree with that.

Farmland should be for farming not solar farming.

Put panels on industrial roofs first.

I assume you're signed up to the campaign to plough up all golf courses and make them play in city-centre car parks instead?

For me it's an opportunity to develop something with rather more wildlife value than the standard monoculture field, with essentially zero impact on overall food production.

[Tinbum]

I assume you're signed up to the campaign to plough up all golf courses and make them play in city-centre car parks instead?

What a daft comment.

[Joeboy]

I agree with that.

Farmland should be for farming not solar farming.

Put panels on industrial roofs first.

+1

+2, Nowty has I think invested in school roof PV? There must be 100's of square miles of suitable civic, commercial roofspace. Surely closer to a grid connection point?

[nowty]

Yes, I’ve recycled some excess income from Ripple GF into the latest Energy4all Coop based offer, North Lincolnshire Community energy for PV on school roofs. Not a great financial return but its another carbon offset I can do and stick it into SWMBO name for tax purposes.

Cheap carbon free power for schools on existing roofs and they get the asset free after 25 years seems a noble enough cause.

https://energy4all.co.uk/nlce-share-offer/