Putting spare land to work as generation

Ground mounted arrays suit organisations with spare land next to a meaningful electrical load: manufacturing sites, farms, depots, water and waste operations, and larger public estates. They avoid roof constraints entirely and allow the array to be sized to the load rather than to the building.

Orientation and tilt can be optimised, access is straightforward, and maintenance costs are lower than working at height. Where land is genuinely spare, cost per kilowatt can be competitive with rooftop.

The constraints move from structure to land use, consent and connection, all of which take longer to resolve than a roof survey.

Ground mounted solar of any scale normally requires planning permission. Authorities will consider agricultural land classification, landscape and visual effect, ecology, flood risk, heritage setting and cumulative impact with other schemes.

Best and most versatile agricultural land attracts particular scrutiny, and applications on poorer grades or previously developed land generally have an easier route. Community and neighbour engagement is worth doing early.

Biodiversity requirements now shape scheme design, and a well designed array with sheep grazing or wildflower planting between rows can improve the ecological position rather than damage it.

For anything sizeable, the connection determines the project. The application to the distribution network operator establishes whether capacity exists, what conditions apply and whether reinforcement is needed, and the answer can change both the size and the viability of the scheme.

Lead times can be long and quoted reinforcement costs can be substantial. Establish the connection position before spending significantly on design, and treat the offer rather than the assumption as the basis for the business case.

Where export capacity is limited, sizing the array to on site consumption with export limitation is often the pragmatic route to a scheme that can actually be built.

Piled or ground screw foundations suit most sites and avoid concrete, with the ground investigation determining which. Row spacing balances land use against self shading and access for maintenance.

Ground level equipment is exposed to theft and vandalism, so fencing, lighting, cameras and cable security are part of the design and part of the insurance conversation.

Vegetation management is a real operating cost. Grazing, mowing regimes and access tracks should be planned rather than improvised after the first growing season.

The cable route from the array to the point of connection is a cost item in its own right, particularly where it crosses land you do not control, in which case wayleaves or easements are needed.

Metering must record generation, consumption and export correctly, with the arrangements registered before energisation if export is to be paid for.

NRG Solar assesses the opportunity and matches you with installers experienced in ground mounted work. The design, consents and construction are delivered by the installer under contract with you.