Opinion: Why solar panels belong on farm roofs, not farmland

I have been involved in the renewables business generating electricity for the past 30 years, and recently become involved in farming, too. This has given me a foot in both camps and I have to say I am appalled at the use of good farming land to build solar farms.

The argument often made by promoters is that “we need this to meet our net-zero target”. I have to take issue with this. Solar PV generates most of its output during the summer months, peaking at midday on sunny days. Relatively little generation happens in winter.

See also: The pros and cons of solar farm development

Peak solar also tends to correlate with those periods when we need it least. The evidence for this is already very clear from market signals.

Power in the wholesale market is sold in half-hour chunks, and there are many such periods when prices actually go negative, especially during the summer.

Currently the “capture” price for solar is about 16% below the market price. In other words, the market values it less than other forms of generation because it is available when there is least demand.

The UK currently has about 17GW of solar installed and the National Energy System Operator (Neso) has decided we need 47GW by 2030.

You don’t need to be an economist to realise a tripling of supply is going to crash “solar capture” prices, particularly in a market where prices go negative.

Higher bills

But it is not just the loss of farmland that this extra 30GW will affect (about 61,000ha). It will also cost us all through higher energy bills.

To be bankable, solar developers will look for long-term contracts available through Contract for Difference (CFD) auctions run by Neso.

These guarantee an index-linked price, but are paid for through a charge on everyone’s bills, which are forecast to rise sharply over the next five years.

Unlike wind and other renewables that are just as likely to be generating at times of high demand as of low, solar is likely to be exporting mostly when market prices are below CFD rates.

A further problem is that solar makes poor use of grid capacity. A solar project uses about 12% of its grid connection capacity compared with a wind farm at say 40% and an anaerobic digester at 90%. This means much more costly infrastructure for less output.

Excess power

Finally, excess power is costly for the grid. An electricity system is possibly unique in that demand has to match supply every second of the day. Excess power has to be managed and this costs money.

Something else has to be curtailed, and artificial demand has to be created. These costs appear on our bills through “balancing charges”.

Building more solar on good farmland does nothing to further our progress to 2030 net-zero targets. It creates problems in balancing the grid and is going to cost us all dearly through our bills.

The government is planning huge increases in solar across certain parts of the country.

These targets appear to have been dreamed up by someone in a back office at Ofgem/Neso. I can find nothing to indicate they have been discussed and agreed with the industry.

Solar does have a place: on all south-facing roofs of barns, factories, schools, hospitals and offices – places where the electricity produced can be used on site, without the need to export it into the grid.

The farming industry in my opinion should be pushing hard for this and firmly against building more solar on good farmland.