Blot on the landscape … solar farm

Got talking to a local when riding this afternoon and was told that there could be a solar farm very close by. It’s a lovely little area, well used by horses and the wood has a fantastic display in the Spring of bluebells. It’s also a recreational waymarked route.

I’ve found this on the County Council planning website – ‘Request for a screening opinion under the EIA Regulations for proposed Solar farm’.

The application has been submitted by a company who specialise in helping rich landowners who want to become even more rich this sort of thing.

Curious as to what the outcome could be. Sounds as though there’s going to be a public meeting and apparently there’s several millionaires in the vicinity who could be influential.

I feel incredibly sad, having enjoyed this area for around 15 years. 🙁

So, you like using electricity, but you don’t like it being generated?

Did you see plans of what the farm would look like?

So where do you and the local millionaires want to get your electricity from? I know a few people who would be happy to build a big CCGT Gas unit down there …

[edit : beaten to it by molgrips]

CG is a NIMBY. Well who’d a thunk it.

This is going well

I know of a couple of small ones up this way. They’re quite well hidden.

Will happily swap your solar farm for the 66 open cast coal mines in my parish. 🙂

take your pick.

Someone in the car park at Glycorrwg once asked me to sign a petition against the wind farm development there. I said no, because we need renewable energy. He was upset that it would be affecting the landscape, which was incredibly ironic given that he was living in an ex mining village, an industry which has demolished to varying degrees a beautiful part of the world, to deliver energy.

I reckon you could classify every form of electricity generation as a ‘blot on the landscape’. Too many reckon their patch is worthy of special consideration. Greater solar generation will help add to the mix of energy production.

…and that is the point, we do need the mix of technologies.

Loads of solar farms here in Spain. They are less intrusive than windfarms, even the larger ones.

Going to be a huge one in flint, next to an industrial estate, a car engine plant, an oil fired power station, and a bit further on a gas powered one, all passed by a huge 4 lane bypass and a massive bridge,then theres a huge paper plant,and steelworks.

ALL CREATE A LOT OF WORK AND ALL USE A LOT OF ENERGY

Put a hedge up and it won’t be seen!

Its the daily mails canny reporting showing aerial shots of them which sends shivers down your spine!

Same with fracking, every shot you see has a drilling rig in it, well ok that will be there for 3 to 6 months but not for ever, you will just have some head works and a manifold, however its always twisted.

Now compare these examples to wind turbines!

Yep, sorry, no sympathy here. Unless you don’t happen to use any electricity yourself.

Just to be clear – I don’t actually live in the area.

I object to its location right beside the bridleway where distant views of the South Downs can be enjoyed.

It doesn’t need to be put there and there are other less intrusive locations.

Hoping that there will be a protest group that I can join. 🙂

I am sure there will be wherever they choose

next to a bridleway you say – you mean an ugly scar on the natural beauty that was not there before us?

just be glad you get enough sunshine to be considered viable….

The application has been submitted by a company who specialise in helping rich landowners who want to become even more rich this sort of thing.

Couldn’t help notice the dig though, perhaps the “rich” landowner became rich by taking opportunities that presented themselves and taking risks while others just moaned about stuff.

We were driving through mid Wales a couple of years ago and there were lots of “no wind farms” and “no pylons” notices everywhere. I don’t know what they did want, but I’ll bet it wasn’t a power station either!

Grrrrrrrrrr you ‘orrible lot ‘specially that Jamie!

vickypea – Member
We were driving through mid Wales a couple of years ago and there were lots of “no wind farms” and “no pylons” notices everywhere. I don’t know what they did want, but I’ll bet it wasn’t a power station either!

They want everything just the way it was, not changed at all. Don’t you remember when electricity was beamed without wires into our homes and generated by magic without any infrastructure…

object to its location right beside the bridleway where distant views of the South Downs can be enjoyed.

It doesn’t need to be put there and there are other less intrusive locations.

Location depends on land availability and land costs, along with the connection required to the grid,and the ones ive seen are only about 6 foot high, with a fence around them, and cctv and ground radar, to detect intruders/thieves.

and they dont polllute, or need armed guards called Police 24 hours a day,

Here’s an idea.

If your community doesn’t generate electricity or gather water, then you pay lots extra, or even better you can’t have any. 😈

So let me get this straight. You dont have any of the details of the install but your outraged at this ???

Brilliant.

I know lots of communities that generate little electricity. Often called cities.

trail_rat – Member
So let me get this straight. You dont have any of the details of the install but your outraged at this ???

Brilliant.

Was just about to say the same….

I know lots of communities that generate little electricity. Often called cities.

A golden star for you.

NIMBY!!!

Got chatting to someone today whos installing, or at least helping, these in various foarms around the country.
Apparently the farmers are gettingna huge subsady (sp) to use their land the pannels have a predicted life of 20yrs at the end on which they will be as difficult to dispose ofmas asbestos because of the gasses in them.

This could all be bobbins in the same way all nuclear plants create godzilla.

Didn’t mean anything by it rich. I do get your point though. People all too rarely put any thought into how their electricity is produced and some don’t give any thought to reducing its use. Turning off their supply or having its production on their doorstep may make them think more.

So the rest of us pay more for our leccy to finance these things which make exactly how much power on cold winter nights? For that’s when we need it most.

yeah! godzilla!

So the rest of us pay more for our leccy to finance these things which make exactly how much power on cold winter nights?

So, what do you propose instead?

There is no magic bullit method. Either too polluting, too radioactive, too inneficient,too expensive too ugly, too windy, not windy enough, not sunny enough.
Thats why a variety of sources seems the best solution. We should not put all our eggs in one basket IMO.

Solar farms are awesome. They make no noise, you can rarely see them and they can power huge lasers that can destroy things from space.

This could all be bobbins in the same way all nuclear plants create godzilla

So thats why they are all patroled by armed police, not to keep terrorists and nosey people out, but to keep the Godzillas in, it makes sence now, 😯 😯

What do I propose instead? Not my job, but I still oppose having to pay extra to subsidise something that only works in sunlight.

What do I propose instead? Not my job, but I still oppose having to pay extra to subsidise something that only works in sunlight

Have you noticed how much electric gets used when the sun is out during the day? It’s quite a bit that’s why people are subsidised to use it at night when all the generation capacity is running with less demand but can’t be turned off.

Would you have complained about a fruit farm with polytunnels, or an organic farm with fleeces over brassicas? Is it OK for a landowner to make money from raspberries and vegetables but not the sun’s energy?

mrmo – Member
take your pick.

POSTED 1 HOUR AGO # REPORT-POST
Except you’d need rather more land for solar or wind…