Phil SturgeonDec 2, 2024

Solar farms arent harming the countryside, you just don’t like the way they look.

Example 103: insect populations boom from shade and wildflower habitat.

https://phys.org/news/2024-01-insect-populations-flourish-habitats-solar.html

Insect populations flourish in the restored habitats of solar energy facilities

Bumblebees buzz from flower to flower, stopping for a moment under a clear blue Minnesota sky. Birds chirp, and tall grasses blow in the breeze. This isn't a scene from a pristine nature preserve or national park. It is nestled between photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays on rehabilitated farmland.

Phys.org
Show threadJenny ListDec 2, 2024
@Philsturgeon I have one issue with rural solar farms; they change land use from agricultural to industrial. I'm from a rural area, I have seen landowners doing this in order to turn agricultural land for example near main roads or motorways into high value industrial development land for distribution warehouses, with a ~25 year time between the two. That's not against the solar projects themselves, but should be taken into account when evaluating how they are used.
Show threadAngharadHafodDec 2, 2024

@JennyList @Philsturgeon that sounds to me like a failing in the planning process. It's still possible to make agricultural youth of the land around and within a solar farm. And as far as I know there isn't such an issue with wind farms, were the surrounding lounge remains agricultural.

The beauty of solar is that it has no long-term detrimental effect on the land or environment, and has little short term impact. Compare wind (danger to birds, unsightly, beating noise nearby, high maintenance)

Show threadJenny List

@AngharadHafod @Philsturgeon yes, the land use thing is a planning fail.

However, uk rural planning is not always transparent, so perhaps it's working as designed.

Dec 2, 2024 at 3:11pmMastodon for Android