Tag Archives: Natural England

Natural England (NE) have used the term ‘Solar Parks’ to describe ground mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) modules covering an area of between 2 and 15 hectares.  Other terms frequently used to describe such installations are ‘Solar Farms’ or ‘Large PV Arrays’.  It’s interesting that the use of words like ‘parks’ and ‘farms’ hint at a use that would be benign in a rural area and it can be, with the right design and location. Key environmental factors in choosing an appropriate location for solar parks are: Landscape (designation, character, visual, geology and geomorphology); Soil (protection and husbandry); Watercourses (protection); and Biodiversity (protection and mitigation). Along with more technical issues of the available solar resource and a suitable grid connection, locating … Continue reading