My newspaper today had an article on the rise of solar farms next to villages, which can be controversial if the the residents do not gain from their construction.
One of the issues at stake is the occupancy of agricultural land. Solar Energy UK is following the prediction that such solar power will rise to 70GW by 2035, only occupying 0.3% of UK land, three times more than the present. The conclusion is that there will be little effect on agriculture. But there are many villages that are demonstrating right now about other factors that annoy the residents, who are rarely consulted about these major installations. For example, today, residents in Northamptonshire are complaining about a 40MW solar farm that could power 18000 homes but taking 89 hectares of farmland. What is the solution to this problem?