Fibden Farm, United Kingdom Co-located

Solar farms are essential for the UK’s energy strategy as they provide not only a clean, fossil-fuel free source of electricity but are also one of the cheapest forms of electricity in the UK, four times cheaper than gas and two times cheaper than nuclear.

The UK Government has set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of the 1990 levels by 100% before 2050 to reach Net Zero with solar power playing a key role in this target. As part of this the government has targeted 70 GW of solar power to be installed by 2035 of which there is currently 15.7 GW installed as of December 2023 (Source).

BESS sites enable energy from renewables, like solar and wind, to be stored and then released when the power is needed most. Whilst the main function is to soak up surplus clean electricity and discharge it back when needed, the system can also operate in several different modes to provide grid stability services, for example helping to manage voltage and frequency imbalances as renewable generation dips up and down. Please follow this link to find out more.

Across the UK large volumes of electricity generated by renewable generation (such as wind and solar) are lost when we cannot immediately utilise it, as we have insufficient means to store this power.

Between 2015 and 2021, the UK’s electricity system operator (ESO) curtailed, or discarded, over 13% of the total wind energy generated (REF). In 2020 and 2021, this curtailment cost the UK £806 million and wasted enough renewable electricity to power 800,000 homes, which additionally had an environmental impact, with an extra two million tonnes of CO2 emitted due to gas being used instead of wind.

Research from LCP has found that  an increase of 20GWh of battery storage could reduce the amount of wasted wind power in Britain by 50% (LCP).

Ground mounted solar installations account for approximately 0.1% of all land take across the UK. To reach significantly scale up our solar development to meet our Net Zero target of 70GW it is estimated to take up to 0.3%. By comparison the amount currently used for golf courses occupies 0.5% of the UK (Carbon Brief). Regardless, when identifying solar farms the intention is to avoid the most suitable farmland for arable purposes defined as ‘Best and Most Versatile’ which is land classified as 3A and below under the Agricultural Land Classification guidance.

An Agricultural Land Quality survey has been completed at Fibden  which  has found that the site is predominately Subgrade 3B (73% of the site). An agreement has also been made with the landowner that a section of the land will continue to be used for agricultural/pasture (sheep grazing), the exact extent is to be defined but will likely account for 30-50% of the Solar PV area.

The Fibden Farm project will connect to the nearby National Grid Upton Warren substation through a connection into an existing 132kV pylon and will supply electricity to the local distribution network.

We have carried out a detailed site assessment of the area around the National Grid substation to identify where we could locate the project. We considered a number of factors, including proximity to the national distribution system, as well as the potential impact on sensitive receptors, such as residential or ecological sites, planning restrictions, topography and ground conditions. Following careful assessment of each option, the final site was determined to be the most appropriate on all accounts.

As such this development seeks to mitigate harm through local benefits including biodiversity net gain, community benefit fund and sources of local employment.

The panels themselves make no noise, however, the inverters make a low humming sound similar to an air conditioning unit. Accompanying a planning application will be a Noise Impact Assessment which will assess this noise against the nearest sensitive receptors.

The panels are roughly 3m high, and can be screened relatively easily using bunding and landscaping methods, such as trees and hedgerows. A Landscape Visual Impact Assessment will be submitted with any planning application assessing the visual impact and recommending any necessary mitigation measures.

There will be a minimum 10% biodiversity net gain, achieved through native planting, including wildflowers, hedgerow restoration and woodland installation to support local wildlife and habitat creation.

Grenergy will also be looking to implement a community benefit fund, to deliver investment into causes and organisations in the local area.