Solar farms bring sustainable savings

By 2018, the generation of electricity by renewable sources had overtaken that of fossil fuels for the first time. More than one million rooftops in the UK now have solar panels, and solar farms provide additional sustainable options.

BAE Systems proposed to install a solar farm at the end of a disused runway at its Samlesbury, UK, site. RSK’s landscape team provided a landscape and visual impact appraisal of the site. RSK director Chris Frain said, “Despite the site’s location in the greenbelt, we were able to reassure the local council planning officer that the site would be visually contained and there were sufficient mitigation measures in place. The resultant planning application received unanimous approval from the planning committee.”

Samlesbury solar farm was completed in 2015. It prevents about 1000 t of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere each year. And it is not just the environment that benefits: BAE Systems saves about £300,000 a year in reduced energy costs from its 9000 solar panels.