Industry body Solar Energy Scotland has made a statement in support of increasing the number of UK solar farms, and fighting the myth that solar farms are a threat to food security.
Ahead of the release of the Scottish Government’s Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, Solar Energy Scotland notes that climate change is a much larger threat to food security than land use from ground-mounted solar developments, adding that the land needed to meet Scotland’s solar generations is a far smaller amount than that dedicated to other, less beneficial uses.
The UK government has set a target of 50GW of new solar capacity across the whole country by 2030, with the Scottish government pledging to have 4-6GW of capacity by this date. Solar Energy Scotland estimates that around 2.5GW of the top 6GW ambition will come from rooftop installations, with the remaining 3.5GW coming from ground-mounted solar installations.
The amount of land needed for this is a mere 0.05% of Scotland’s land – less than a fifth of the area currently allocated to golf courses in Scotland.
The trade body also highlights the potential benefits to biodiversity that solar farms can provide, something which has been verified by several major research projects previously covered by Solar Power Portal.
“Farming businesses are under intense economic pressure. Solar developments are a key part of the solution, reducing our impact on the climate while providing important diversification opportunities for farmers. Farming also has energy needs, like any industry, and we know of many farmers who see the opportunity to cut their costs and their emissions at the same time,” said Josh King, chair of Solar Energy Scotland.
“Land used for solar projects can simultaneously support farming activities, especially grazing and also nature restoration. It is not a question of whether we must decarbonise the economy, it is simply a question of how. Solar is a flexible part of the solution, supporting economic and food security and creating a positive legacy of enhanced soil and biodiversity. Our members look forward to working with Scottish Ministers to deliver these benefits for Scotland,” he added.
Changing the messaging
A recent blog published on Solar Power Portal discussed just how pervasive the myth of solar farms being a threat to food security has been, and how the new government is working to change the public view of these developments.
Following the 4 July general election, the newly-elected Labour government wasted no time in publicly clarifying that solar farms do not pose a threat to the UK’s food security or agricultural industry, releasing a public statement just days after the election.
In fact, farmers and other landowners could well see significant benefits from allowing their land to be used for solar projects; as well as the benefits to soil health and biodiversity that come from allowing land a break from intensive farming practices, land can still be used for grazing sheep and other animals, and the financial benefits from solar projects can provide security for farmers.
The National Farmer’s Union of Scotland (NFUS) recently signed a deal with Iqony Solar Energy Solutions (SENS) that will see landowners who permit solar and battery energy storage (BESS) development on their land receive an indexed, competitive market rent for up to 40 years.
On this, NFU president Tom Bradshaw noted: “Solar farms offer an attractive diversification income opportunity for farmers when we strike the right balance between food security and climate ambitions. National planning guidance and NFU policy both express a preference for large-scale solar farm development to be located as far as possible on lower quality agricultural land, avoiding the most productive and versatile soils.”
