Blackberry Solar Farm (formerly Wyke)

Frequently Asked Questions

• Community

  Do RWE engage with the local community?

  Thorough and meaningful community engagement is at the heart of our approach to development. We seek to meet with local residents, organise consultation days, and present plans at an early stage to local stakeholders and groups as part of our consultations. We also regularly partner with local wildlife, school and community groups.

  Will there be a benefit to the local community?

  Working in partnership with local communities to unlock a project’s full potential is at the heart of what we do. We work with local people to shape the future of our projects and to ensure the benefits of solar energy developments are realised in a way that positively impacts local people.
  We invest in significant green infrastructure on each of our sites. This could include: accessible footpaths, new native planting, , outdoor classrooms, picnic benches, and community orchards. We also provide a community benefit fund to local parish council(s), which can be used to fund rooftop solar on community buildings and/or fund other initiatives.

  Do solar farms create jobs, and do you hire locally?

  Yes. There are opportunities for local suppliers in relation to contractors for aggregates, landscaping supplies, haulage as well as plant hire. Construction staff are also likely to use local accommodation and shops / restaurants. Once operational there will be a need for ongoing monitoring, cleaning, landscape maintenance and general maintenance over the course of the year.

• Planning and development

  Are solar farms built with the landscape in mind?

  Absolutely, we work closely with communities to ensure that our solar farms blend in and restore traditional meadows and hedgerows to the countryside. The maximum height of our solar panels is three metres, which is the equivalent of a well-maintained hedgerow.

  Do solar panels create glint and glare?

  Solar panels are designed to absorb light not reflect it. The more light a panel absorbs, the more power it will generate. Modern panels are installed with an anti-reflective coating, to maximise efficiency, and reduce glint and glare that is typically presented as an issue on older solar farms.

  Why are most solar farms built on agricultural land?

  Being one of the cheapest forms of clean renewable energy, a fivefold increase in solar capacity is anticipated by 2035 in the Government’s Energy Security Strategy 2022. This cannot be achieved through rooftop and brownfield solar installations alone, as they have considerable practical barriers of their own.

  Many domestic and industrial buildings either do not have roofs made of suitable material to support a solar system, do not have the infrastructure to export electricity to the gird, or simply present as an unaffordable solution, with initial costs of installation too high for some. As a result, agricultural land typically of moderate or low quality is also used, without impacting on food security. New build residential dwellings will need to consider renewable sources of electricity and heat supply under the Future Homes Standard from 2025.

  Does land used for solar farms reduce food security?

  No. The UK Food Security Report states that climate change is one of the largest threats to domestic food production and solar farms provide an opportunity to significantly reduce carbon emissions. Solar farms provide valuable income for farmers and can still be used for grazing (sheep or chicken) due to the spacing between the rows of panels allowing a high quality grassland to grow around/underneath the panels. There are many excellent examples of successful sheep and chicken farms across the country that run pastoral farms within an existing solar farm.

  How much space will solar farms take up?

  Very little. Even under 2050 Net Zero targets, Solar farms would occupy around 0.3% of the UK’s land¹ – less that what is currently used by golf courses.

  Once built, will the development be noisy?

  Panels are generally static, so do not produce any noise. We undertake a full background noise assessment to ensure any noise that is generated is within acceptable levels. Any items which may generate noise are placed in the centre of the site, away from houses.

  Will there be much disturbance during construction?

  We aim to access sites and manage all traffic in such a way that it will have a minimum impact on surrounding communities We compose a construction traffic management plan which is prepared with the input from the local Highway Authority.

  Will there be fencing around the site?

  As is commonplace across farms on the countryside and in allotments, we install a deer fence (wooden posts and wire) around the site in order to keep it secure. The fencing includes mammal gates that will allow small animals to pass through, and our designs include green corridors to ensure free movement of wildlife through the site.

  _{1 Factcheck https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-is-solar-power-a-threat-to-uk-farmland/}

• Solar

  Is solar popular?

  Definitely. According to Government polling, solar is the most popular energy source, with over 80% of respondents stating they support it. When asked about a solar farm being built in their local area, a poll in 2022 found that a considerable 88% of respondents in said they weren’t opposed.

  Does solar PV work well in the UK? Is it sunny enough?

  Absolutely. Solar works well everywhere in the UK. Solar panels don’t need direct sunlight to operate and produce power all year round, accounting for about 6% of national consumption. 

  Is solar expensive?

  Not at all. Large scale solar provides one of the cheapest electricity, with costs expecting to drop even lower in the future. 

  How does a solar PV installation work?

  PV panels are installed in rows on the land, usually separated by between 4-10m. This ensures grass can successfully grow underneath the panels and can be grazed by sheep. The panels convert light into electricity which is then distributed to our houses/businesses via the National grid.

  How long do PV modules last?

  The lifespan of PV panels is 40 years, this is why we seek planning permission for 40 years on our sites. After this time the site is restored back to its former state, never losing its greenfield status in the process. 

  What is the construction time?

  This depends on the size of the installation. A typical build time is around six to nine months for a typical 49.9MW project.