Info for landowners
We work in partnership with landowners, estates and public sector organisations to maximise the benefits of your project
Info for landowners
Solar farms: What makes a suitable site?
Suitable land
A site between 50-200 acres
Land should be relatively flat
Land should be well screened by hedges and a good distance from residential property
Land should not be in a valued landscape or near historic buildings
Limited distance to the grid
The land needs to be near overhead electricity cables or within 2KM of an electricity substation with access from a main road suitable for HGVs.
Benefits of solar farms
Reliable income
Solar can provide a landowner with a long-term, predictable and dependable rental income for the next 30+ years.
No risk and no cost to you
The solar farm is planned, developed, installed and maintained at absolutely no cost to the landowner. Even your legal fees are covered, the only investment you need to make is time. And at the end of the solar farm's life, it is your tenant's responsibility to remove all the solar farm equipment and return the land to its former use.
Continue farming the land
In many cases, the best way to manage the land beneath the solar farm is to graze it with sheep. Subject to the investor you choose to work with, you could retain the right to graze the land and benefit from a dual income.
Room for biodiversity
There are great opportunities to boost biodiversity. Ecological enhancements can include log piles, bird and bat boxes and beehives. Solar farms can be sown with wildflower seeds improving habitat for pollinators and birds as well as other wildlife. New trees and hedgerows can be planted to provide screening which will also contribute to biodiversity net gain.
A sustainable business with local benefits
Solar farms can help to create and sustain local jobs and services and provide resources for schools. They provide a clean, secure and local source of energy over the long term which can benefit the local community.
An active role in the fight against climate change
The transition to renewable energy is the vital step we must all take in the fight against climate change. You can take a decisive role to help the environment and improve the UK's energy security by choosing solar.
Our development process
3. Site survey
4. Acquire grid connection
5. Agree Heads of Terms on option
6. Agree option for lease
7. Acquire planning consent
8. Secure capital investment
11. Completion & long term asset management
2. Desktop feasibility
1. Site identification
10. Accreditation & verification
9. Procurement
PPS, now known as Ethical Power Development, has a tried and tested project development process. We have an experienced team with a strong track record of delivering utility-scale energy projects. Our experience is reflected in our way of working and the processes we have implemented for our developments.
However, we also take a view that each site is unique and every development will need to overcome a different set of challenges to be successful.
We manage the entire process of development, funding and long-term management, providing a single point of contact and peace of mind for the landowner.
Whether project challenges are around grid connection, planning permission, procurement, financing or construction, our project team has the skills and experience to deliver solutions whilst keeping you informed at each stage of the project.
Planning
We can manage the planning process with you from start to finish.
This begins with initial site investigations, to understand if there are any planning constraints and availability of a grid connection. We will also obtain any necessary pre-application advice from the local authority, with the aim of securing their support.
We will coordinate the production of key technical reports (for example ecology, heritage, hydrology, landscape, highways and agricultural land classification) as well as the Environmental Impact Assessment screening.
We are experienced in structuring investment from the local community with funding schemes allowing a percentage of profits to go back to the community to fund local projects and charities.
After we submit the planning application to the local authority, we will liaise closely with planning officers and monitor the application, responding to third party and statutory consultee comments as they are received.
Local authorities have various planning systems and we can advise you whether your planning decisions will be made by the local authority planning officer through delegated powers, or by elected councillors at a committee meeting.
If the application is to be a committee decision, we will ensure that committee members are effectively briefed about the essential details and benefits of the proposal. A PPS representative can also attend the committee briefing to speak in support of the proposal on your behalf.
Finally, following consent, we will ensure that any required planning conditions are discharged so that construction can begin in a timely manner.
Construction
The construction of a solar farm is a simple process involving minimal concrete foundations. The frames are secured by either piling or ballast, dependent on the condition of the ground. All materials can be easily removed and the land re-instated at the end of the life of the scheme.
A high percentage of the materials used have a residual value and can be recycled after use.
We can offer client-side support during construction of the project if required to liaise with the contractor on-site and provide updates throughout the process in accordance with your needs and oversee the health, safety and environmental management.
Through Ethical Power Group, we can also provide full-wrap build services for solar and battery projects in the UK and globally.
Asset management
We provide asset management services to keep your project on track and performing to the highest possible outputs.
We ensure issues are monitored in real-time and addressed quickly, freeing you of the day-to-day responsibilities, whilst keeping you fully informed of the performance of your solar array.
Community Benefits
PPS, now known as Ethical Power Development, is experienced in structuring a range of financial investment models for energy schemes depending on the requirements of the project with options for commercial investment, public sector investment, community investment or a mixture of everything.
Community investment is a fantastic way of sharing the benefits of the transition to net zero enabling local residents to take a real financial stake in renewable energy projects. We developed the UK’s first solar farms funded by a council-backed solar bond and we’re keen to continue exploring innovative ways to involves communities in all our projects.
We also offer community benefit funds at all our solar farms, linked to the generation capacity of the project, which provide funding to local projects on an annual basis. These have helped to deliver a range of social and environmental projects to local communities, for example:
£9,000 to TWIGS community gardens to run sessions for people living with dementia
£14,000 to Wootton Bassett Rugby Club towards building a new gym
£26,000 to Chiseldon Primary School to build an eco-playground
£12,000 to Wiltshire Wildlife Trust for conservation work at Hagbourne Copse
Other community benefits may include new footpaths, community orchards, areas for beehives, educational boards etc. – we will work with landowners and communities to ensure these reflect local priorities.
Climate change education
PPS, now known as Ethical Power Development, is passionate about educating the next generation and sharing our knowledge to encourage them to take action to help tackle the climate emergency.
In 2021, our Director of Development, Steve Cains, made a presentation to share our knowledge and insight with students at Wiltshire College studying Environmental Science and Sustainability at their Lackham campus.
This was followed by a site visit to one our own solar farms where they were shown around by our Head of Asset Management and Technical Services. Contact us directly if you would like us to help you organise a site visit.
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We have in-house expertise in the areas of planning and grid and will assess site the suitability.
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All projects are different and will range in size and complexity but the process can typically take around 18 months from inception to completion.
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Lease payments are either paid quarterly or annually with construction rent provided during the initial phase. All rent payments are index-linked for the lifetime of the project.
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The site owner will be legally responsible for the removal of all equipment when the lease comes to an end and the land will be returned to its original condition.
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PPS, now known as Ethical Power Development, provide an Asset Management service to keep your project performing to the highest possible standard. We ensure that the site is fully maintained and monitored and that any issues are dealt with quickly.
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Yes, you can. All payments along with the lease agreements will be transferred to the new owner.
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CCTV cameras will be installed to monitor the site. The solar park will be enclosed with fencing positioned inside any hedgerows and trees around the boundary of the site. Standard stock proof fencing is typically used.