Solar farms

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What are solar farms?

Solar panel farms are large-scale installations of photovoltaic (PV) panels that generate electricity from sunlight. These farms can range in size from a few acres to hundreds of acres and are typically situated in rural areas where there’s ample sunlight and land availability. In the UK, solar farms are becoming an increasingly popular way to generate clean and renewable energy - for powering your business and selling back to the grid.

Renewables & Generation

What are the benefits of solar farms?

As well as providing clean, sustainable energy, solar power farms also offer a range of other benefits. They can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change, and also provide opportunities for local employment, as solar farms require maintenance and monitoring.

There are a few concerns raised about their impact on biodiversity and the loss of agricultural land, so in response to this, the UK government has introduced guidelines for solar farms, which require developers to carry out environmental impact assessments and to consider the impact on local communities.

How much do solar farms cost?

The cost of building a commercial solar panel farm can vary depending on the size of the installation, the location, and the quality of the PV panels used. However, according to industry experts, the average cost of building a solar farm in the UK is around £1 million per megawatt (MW) of capacity. This means that a 50MW solar farm, which is a fairly typical size in the UK, would cost around £50 million to build.

Despite the initial high cost, solar farms are considered a sound investment due to the potential long-term savings on energy costs, and the opportunity to generate revenue from the sale of excess energy back to the National Grid. Solar farms in the UK usually have a lifespan of around 25 years and can generate enough electricity to power thousands of home and businesses.

How many solar farms are there in the UK?

There are currently around 1,000 solar farms in the UK, with a total capacity of around 13GW. The largest solar farm currently in the UK has a capacity of 350MW and covers an area of over 800 acres, and is expected to generate enough electricity to power around 91,000 homes and save around 68,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

Solar farms offer a promising solution to the UK's energy needs, providing clean and renewable energy while also offering economic and environmental benefits. As the technology continues to develop and the costs of installation decrease, it’s likely that we’ll see more solar farms being developed in the UK in the coming years.

We've already build successful solar farms across Europe, which are now creating clean sustainable and renewable energy.

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Why choose us for your solar project?

We listen

We have an experienced team based all over Europe, with specialist expertise in working with businesses just like yours.

Working together

We deliver a full bespoke solution to help you to achieve net zero. From solar PV and wind, to EV charging options, storage and decarbonisation of heat.

Tangible results

We deliver real results for all types of businesses, across every sector, and they're ready to be applied to yours.

Solar partnerships

Our solar projects

Diageo

Diageo, one of the world's largest producers of spirits and beers, has chosen E.ON to install a major solar energy farm at one of its sites in Scotland. Work has already begun on a new 8,000 panel solar farm the size of eight football pitches at their Fife packaging site, which is expected to become one of the largest solar arrays of its type in Scotland. Discover how we helped Diageo.

Sainsbury's

We’ve started to install 37,000 rooftop solar panels across 30 Sainsbury’s stores in the UK. By making very good use of this unused space, these rooftop solar panels will generate 15 Megawatts (MW) of clean energy – enough to power almost 5,000 homes.

Two supermarkets have already been completed – one in Desborough, Northamptonshire (pictured) and one in the village of Hook, near Basingstoke, and both will be powered by 100% renewable electricity. 

Audi

In partnership with Audi we installed 35,000 commercial solar panels on to the roof of their factory in Hungary to create the largest PV roof system in Europe. Taking up an area of 160,000 square meters, the solar panels will generate enough energy to power 5,000 homes and will result in 6,000 less tons of carbon dioxide being released into the air. 

How much power could a solar farm generate?

The amount of power a solar farm can generate depends on various factors, including the size of the land and its grade. On average, a solar farm in the UK can generate approximately 1,000 kWh of electricity per acre per year. This means that a solar farm covering 50 acres of land could potentially generate up to 50,000 kWh of electricity per year.

The grade of the land, and its suitability also play a role in determining the power generation capacity of the solar farm. Ideally, if the land is flat, has a gentle slope and is south-facing, with minimal shading from trees or buildings, this would maximize the amount of sunlight it receives. A solar farm located on a grade 1 land, which is the most fertile and productive land, may generate less power compared to a solar farm located on a lower grade land. In general, the best land for a solar farm in the UK is classified as Grade 3a, which is agricultural land with good soil quality and moderate limitations for crop production. This type of land is typically flat or gently sloping, with few obstructions to sunlight.

However, it's important to note that other factors, such as access to the electrical grid and proximity to urban areas, may also be important considerations when planning your solar farm.

Read more solar farm case studies...

Solar panel and giraffe Solar panel and giraffe
Edinburgh Zoo
solar farm solar farm
West Sussex County Council
solar farm solar farm
Diageo

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With our design and engineering experience, we can build a solar panel farm to serve your needs.

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