Solar panel mythbuster - A blog from Cllr Ernest Gibson

Councillor Gibson is South Tyneside Council’s Lead Member for Neighbourhoods and Climate Change. As part of this role, common misconceptions and misinformation within our communities regularly arise.

The purpose of this blog is to debunk myths and clarify misunderstandings about the environment and local environmental initiatives right here in South Tyneside.

The truth about solar panels and farmland

A common concern about solar farms is that they reduce agricultural land and threaten food security. However, the reality is much different. Solar farms currently occupy a small fraction of the UK’s land area - less than 0.2%. Even under ambitious future expansion plans this figure is still less than 1%. By contrast, agriculture dominates 70% of the UK’s land use. And even then, golf courses take up much more land than solar farms with a 2% land coverage, highlighting the modest spatial requirements for solar energy.

Biodiversity and soil health benefits

Solar farms are often sited on low-grade agricultural land unsuitable for high-yield crops. These installations offer unique opportunities to enhance biodiversity. For example, planting wildflowers and native grasses under and around solar panels creates habitats for pollinators, like bees and butterflies, while also improving soil health.

Additionally, solar farms can provide a regenerative break for farmland. Conventional farming depletes soil nutrients like nitrogen, but land used for solar farms can recover, allowing for more sustainable farming practices in the long term. Livestock grazing, particularly with sheep, is also possible alongside solar panels, maintaining dual land use.

Comparing solar farms to other land uses

To put this into perspective, golf courses are thought to occupy more than 10 times as much land as solar farms, highlighting the modest spatial requirements of solar energy. Solar farms are often installed on less productive agricultural land, ensuring minimal disruption to food production. As part of the UK government’s commitment to sustainable energy, the focus remains on balancing renewable energy development with the preservation of agricultural resources.

Economic and Climate Benefits

Solar panels contribute significantly to the UK’s renewable energy goals by providing a clean, sustainable energy source. They play a crucial role in reducing reliance on fossil fuels and expensive non-renewable energy such as gas, stabilising energy costs, and enhancing energy security here in the UK. This means that UK homeowners don’t need to pay for expensive energy sources to heat their homes and power their appliances, the energy being supplied from the national grid has been sourced from within the UK and alleviates the pressure to buy in gas for energy at highly inflated prices.

The solar industry also supports economic growth by creating jobs in installation, maintenance, and manufacturing. 68,000 green jobs supported by £22 billion of private investment have already been created. Investments in solar energy infrastructure drive innovation and technological advancements, further lowering costs and improving efficiency over time. Solar energy is also over 75% cheaper than it was a decade ago; investment and research have enabled solar panels to be a realistic alternative energy source for many households.

Right here in South Tyneside, one of our major award-winning facilities for reducing carbon emissions is also supported by solar energy. Viking Energy Network Jarrow cuts annual carbon emissions in the area by 1,035 tonnes. The facility uses a river source heat pump powered by a 1-megawatt solar farm on the site to deliver clean and sustainable energy to council-owned homes and buildings in the area.

Conclusion

Misinformation about solar panels can easily cloud public understanding of their benefits and deployment here in South Tyneside. However, the facts show that solar farms are a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution that complements traditional farming, rather than replacing it.

By addressing these misconceptions, we can foster a better-informed community that supports the transition to renewable energy while preserving our agricultural heritage and saving us all money in the process.

I hope this blog helps dispel some common myths. If you have any questions or topics you’d like me to address, please feel free to reach out!