Development of Solar Farms and Storage Assets
As part of their efforts to achieve targets for decarbonised power generation, the UK and other countries need to build many more solar farms – as well as other renewable energy sources.
Green Nation is using its experience over the past decade of developing solar farms to play its part in this effort.
Solar farms are ground-mounted solar installations made up of solar panels fixed to metal frames and arranged in rows across an unshaded section of land. A typical solar farm produces peak renewable electricity output measured in the megawatts. We design them to blend into the countryside where they cause no disturbance and make no noise.
Sites should ideally be brownfield land, or low-grade agricultural land, with a connection to the electricity grid available nearby. If they are agricultural land, they can be grazed by sheep once the solar farm is in operation.
We identify sites, agree a long-term lease with the landowner, gain the permissions required for a solar farm, raise the finance, agree a Power Purchase Agreement for the sale of electricity, then select and oversee the work of the main contractor that builds the site. And finally, we operate the site to optimise electricity production and ensure a good return on investment.
Once planning and other permissions have been obtained, it takes three to four months to build a solar farm and connect it to the grid. The site will then operate for at least 25 years.
The benefits for the landowner include:
- Guaranteed index-linked income
- Valuable use of lower grade land
- Biodiversity benefits from non-intensive usage
- Opportunity to graze the land
At the end of the lease all evidence of the solar farm will be removed and the land restored back to its original state.
If you have land that you think has potential as a solar farm site, please contact us here.
What’s Next?
Green Nation is actively engaged in developing battery storage projects, both standalone and co‑located with solar farm sites. In addition, we are working with partners on large solar projects in several countries outside the UK.
