SOLAR INC - The GRID ENERGIZER

 The majority of solar farms are designed to be away from main centres of population and, where possible, screened by existing vegetation to minimise visual impact. Placing solar farms on flat south-facing land or gentle slopes also helps to minimise the impact on the landscape.  National Planning and Climate Change Policy explicitly states that protecting the landscape should ‘not preclude’ renewable energy schemes ‘except in the most exceptional circumstances’, such as a nationally designated landscape.

The only noise emitted from a solar farm usually relates to mechanical noise, which may emanate from the inverter and electrical switch gear during the daytime . Inverters are therefore typically located centrally within a solar farm development, in order to minimise noise impact beyond the site boundaries.

No widespread levelling of the ground in advance of the works is required. There is practically no loss of soil coverage (< 0.1%) as a result of the solar farm and no ‘desertification’ of the land as enough sunlight and rain can get through/between the panels to maintain the plant life.

In general, modules are attached to an aluminium mounting system, comprising two posts that are in turn bolted to galvanised steel posts that are rammed into the ground. This arrangement avoids the need for a concrete base platform and reduces the removal costs at the end of the system life, as well as the carbon footprint of the mounting system. The depth of the steel posts is determined by engineering calculations taking wind loading and ground conditions into account but is typically around 1m —1.5m. 

The solar farm does not mean an end to agricultural use of the site. Animals such as sheep can continue to graze around the solar panels for the lifetime of the solar farm. Panels are mounted between 1m and 2.65m above the ground (max. height 2.8m - depending on the angle/frame design), providing clearance for plants and other habitats to remain.

In Germany, Russia and the USA (where the solar industry is more established), several solar farms have been installed in close proximity to airports. There have been no reports of disturbances either from environmental tests or from open-space solar farm usage. In fact, pilots have been reported to use solar farms as visual markers for navigation.

Solar cells are made to absorb as much light as possible and not to reflect it: they are light converters and have extremely low reflection levels, which increases the efficiency of the cell. Any reflection that may occur would be limited as the sun’s position changes all the time. What’s more, reflected sunlight is always less intense than direct sunlight, because it is not possible for the full amount to be reflected.

Early solar farm installations over 30 years old are still going strong. Based on manufacturers’ in-field experience and reliability testing, PV modules probably last longer, and according to BP Solar are more reliable than just about any other capital investment in renewable energy. In 2003, BP Solar published the results of their analysis of warranty claims and reported that of more than two million modules in service over nearly ten years, approximately one-tenth of one percent were reported faulty, noting “this represents one module failure for every 4,200 module-years of operation.” Put another way, for every one thousand panels, we would experience the failure of ten modules in 40 years. At the end of its working life, the area can be restored at low financial and environmental costs, in contrast to fossil fuel or nuclear power stations.* [*] BP Statistical Review of World Energy (June 2010).