Craig Y Perthi Solar Farm

Frequently Asked Questions

• Community

  How is this different from the original application made in 2024?

  Significant positive changes have been made to the plans since the original submission in 2024, including a reduction in the total site area (from 240 ha to 196 ha), the increased provision of lapwing nesting land (from 12 ha to 16.5 ha), removal of the provision for Battery Storage containers from the plans alongside other infrastructure, and the removal of all land located within the Gwent Levels SSSI from the scheme.

  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?

  Yes, in addition to a £1.5 million community benefit fund to support community projects/initiatives, we incorporate new accessible/permissive footpaths, outdoor educational spaces, picnic benches, and new public green spaces like wildflower meadows and community orchards into our sites. We also seek to support local people/businesses when it comes to the construction and operation of our sites.

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

  Yes. There are considerable opportunities for local suppliers throughout both the construction and operation phases of the site. Construction staff are also likely to use local accommodation and shops / restaurants, supporting the local economy. RWE also run an industry leading apprenticeship programme, helping future generations gain the key skills they need to participate in the transition to net zero/renewables. The green economy is one of the fastest growing sectors, worth an estimated £100bn per year to the UK, with over 1 million people employed. 

• 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 Wales? Is it sunny enough?

  Absolutely. Solar works well everywhere in Wales. Solar panels don’t need direct sunlight to operate and produce power during day light hours all year round.

  Is solar expensive?

  Not at all. Large scale solar is one of the cheapest forms of electricity generation, with costs expecting to drop even lower in the future given it does not need expensive inputs to operate.

  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 grid network.

  How long do PV modules last?

  The lifespan of PV panels is 40 years which 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 nine to twelve months for a typical project.

• 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 same as a well-maintained hedgerow. Extensive new hedgerow/tree and wildflower planting also helps local wildlife, in addition to screening views of the solar farm.

  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 matte coating, to maximise efficiency, and reduce glint and glare that can be seen on older solar farms. Solar farms are now regularly built next to airport runways and motorways without issue.

  Why are most solar farms built on agricultural land?

  Ground mounted solar is one of the cheapest forms of energy generation, with a fivefold increase in solar capacity is anticipated by 2030 in the Government’s Energy Security Strategy 2022. This cannot be achieved through rooftop and brownfield solar installations alone, as 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 grid, or simply present as an unaffordable solution, with initial costs of installation too high for some. As a result, agricultural land is used, without impacting on food security given the ability to still graze sheep/chickens on the farm. If we were to hit our renewable energy targets, we’d use just 0.3% of the UK’s land for solar farms, less than the land mass currently used for golf courses.

  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 (with a 73% loss of ‘good’ quality farmland predicted by 2050 due to climate change), solar farms provide an opportunity to significantly reduce carbon emissions and tackle this threat. 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 land – 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.