{"id":10609,"date":"2024-12-17T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-17T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solarenergyuk.org\/?post_type=news&p=10609"},"modified":"2024-12-17T10:57:49","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T10:57:49","slug":"british-farmers-back-solar-farms","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/solarenergyuk.org\/news\/british-farmers-back-solar-farms\/","title":{"rendered":"British farmers back solar farms\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Solar Energy UK<\/strong>
17 December 2024 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solar farms are keeping British agriculture in business, say three long-established farmers who host panels on their land. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a video produced by Solar Energy UK, third-generation farmer Jonathan Keeling, of Crays Hall farm in Essex, said the attractiveness of hosting a solar farm is, \u201chaving a steady income whilst allowing you to carry on farming\u201d. The land he formerly used for agriculture, \u201cwasn\u2019t very profitable \u2013 so the solar panels have really helped,\u201d he added.[1] <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a farmer with two solar installations on his land, with a third underway at the time of filming, he is clearly one of the most qualified people to demonstrate how solar energy is contributing to financial stability while enhancing farms\u2019 environmental stewardship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Eric Seeley, of Fossil Farm, Dorset, produces 90,000 plates of fruit and vegetables each week, plus 7,000 portions of meat. Hosting a solar farm, \u201cjust keeps allowing farmers to continue growing food for the county\u2026 and I think when you speak to the majority of farmers that are involved with solar, everyone\u2019s of the same opinion: it\u2019s allowing you to become a better farmer,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their level-headed views are in lockstep with comments from Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and NFU President Tom Bradshaw, who both have both slammed ill-informed fearmongering over food security. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCredible external estimates suggest that ground-mounted solar used just 0.1% of our land in 2022. The biggest threat to nature and food security and to our rural communities is not solar panels or onshore wind; it is the climate crisis, which threatens our best farmland, food production and the livelihoods of farmers. The Government will proceed not on the basis of myth and false information, but on evidence,\u201d he told the Commons in July.[2] <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first concerned about potential public opposition, Seeley added that, \u201cI thought we\u2019d have people bashing down the door\u2026 that never happened. That never, ever happened.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeling had similar comments, saying that he did not have any problems with the local community and, \u201cOnce the panels are built, there\u2019s not much impact.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their views are backed up by hard evidence that solar farms are more popular than many people would assume. According to repeated surveying by Copper Consultancy and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, solar power is the most popular form of energy generation.[3,4] Another survey by Climate Barometer demonstrates that the public has positive views about the solar farms, which are UK\u2019s lowest-cost source of power, while at the same time vastly overestimating the scale of opposition.[5]\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former army officer Jo Nicholson farms 12,000 acres of mainly arable land, with a small beef herd and orchard in Buckinghamshire. He stressed the benefits to wildlife of having a solar farm, which can in turn boost agricultural income by attracting pollinators and delivering natural pest control. Seeley similarly described the land under his panels as a \u201cparadise\u201d for biodiversity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solar Energy UK\u2019s Solar Habitat reports back up such claims. Now in their second year, the latest edition found that brown hares, skylarks, shrews and numerous species of butterfly are a common site on solar farms up and down the country.[6]\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the help of British farmers, Solar Energy aims to reach 50 gigawatts of solar generation capacity by 2030, delivering low-cost, sustainable and secure power for the nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[1] Empowering British Farmers with Solar Energy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2] Miliband slams food security fearmongering<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[3]\u202fSolar farms more popular than ever but myths threaten ability to tackle climate and ecological disaster<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[4]\u202fDESNZ Public Attitudes Tracker<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[5]\u202fClimate Barometer Tracker 22nd November 2023: The public and MPs overestimate opposition to local solar<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[6] Wildlife found thriving on solar farms<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 ENDS \u2013 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Editor\u2019s notes <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information or to request an interview, please contact: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gareth Simkins, Senior Communications Adviser | gsimkins@solarenergyuk.org<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

news@solarenergyuk.org<\/a> | solarenergyuk.org<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Solar Energy UK17 December 2024  Solar farms are keeping British agriculture in business, say three long-established farmers who host panels on their land.  In a video produced by Solar Energy UK, third-generation farmer Jonathan Keeling, of Crays Hall farm in Essex, said the attractiveness of hosting a solar farm is, \u201chaving a steady income whilst […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":10625,"template":"","custom_tag":[],"class_list":["post-10609","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBritish farmers back solar farms\u00a0 • Solar Energy UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/solarenergyuk.org\/news\/british-farmers-back-solar-farms\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" 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