Solar is playing a key role in helping to secure the nation’s energy supplies, while enhancing nature and boosting revenues for farmers – an article by Adam Swarbrick, Head of Solar and Storage UK.
Solar is playing a key role in helping decarbonise the UK ‘s power system and securing the nation’s energy supplies, while enhancing nature and boosting revenues for farmers.
The UK is not alone in facing the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity decline, but it has been an international trailblazer in setting ambitious commitments to transition to a netzero economy and restore nature. The government has pledged to completely decarbonise our power system by 2035, and to protect 30 per cent of the country for nature recovery by 2030.
It’s natural to look for a silver bullet given the magnitude of these challenges, and of course there are none. That said, solar farms do have a critical central role to play, offering the potential to address the climate and nature crises simultaneously, while providing economic benefits for the UK and especially the communities that host them.
Contrary to some claims, solar farms are not a risk to food security, and can be complimentary to agriculture, which the government has formally acknowledged in the new National Policy Statements. Only 0.5 per cent of land would be needed to deliver all the solar farms needed for net-zero. By comparison, 0.7 per cent of the UK is currently used for golf courses. Climate change, on the other hand, threatens the loss of up to 30 per cent of the Best and Most Versatile farm land in the UK, according to analysis by Defra1.
Accelerating the construction of well-considered new solar farms is essential to achieve net-zero by 2050. The government has set the bold target of 70GW of solar by 2035: this will not happen with rooftop solar alone, and the Climate Change Committee has said2 the UK is currently off-track to meet this goal. Solar is a proven technology, fast to build, and provides the most affordable electricity in history, according to the International Energy Agency3. And the benefits extend well beyond carbon reduction.
Solar farms act as havens for biodiversity. RWE has committed to delivering at least 50 per cent biodiversity net gains on all our solar farms, through the creation of new habitats and improving existing habitats. Currently, our consented projects will achieve around 100 per cent biodiversity net gain on average, over ten times the statutory requirement. Across our portfolio, we are establishing wildflower meadows, planting pollinator-friendly vegetation, and creating new ecosystems for vital insect populations. We are planting miles of new hedgerows and acres of new woodlands.
Solar farms also present an important revenue diversification opportunity for farmers, something the new NFU President, Tom Bradshaw, has publicly endorsed. RWE alone is already directing £2m every year into farm businesses through land rent payments, and this is only going to grow. This provides a vital source of income, and allows British farmers to continue farming on their most productive fields, at a time when climate change is already impacting their viability. One of our landowners planted 270 acres of wheat this year but only 64 acres are currently growing due to the increasingly wet weather. This is becoming increasingly common and threatens the viability of farming businesses.
By embracing a green energy transition that prioritises biodiversity, supports the rural economy, and empowers communities, the UK can unlock the full potential of solar farms, not just in delivering net-zero, but in creating a more nature rich, prosperous, and sustainable future for all.
1. Defra: United Kingdom Food Security Report 2021
2. Climate Change Committee: 2023 Progress Report to Parliament
3. IEA World Energy Outlook 2020
This article was originally published in The House magazine in April 2024, and can be viewed here.