Building a Solar Farm: Landowner Tips for the Construction Phase

If you’re a landowner considering building a solar farm on your land, you likely have a lot of questions. From suitability and potential payments to option agreements, there’s plenty to consider.

But you also might want clarity on the actual process of building a solar farm.

You might be asking yourself:

• What goes into the construction process? 
• How will your land be impacted? 
• How long will it take? 

These are all valid questions, and I’m here to provide solid answers.

In this ultimate guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process. From feasibility studies to Grid connection, I’ll tell you exactly what to expect every step of the way.

What Do Solar Farms Consist Of? 

If you’re new to solar farms, you might be wondering what they’re made up of.

Solar farms usually consist of ground-mounted solar panels spread across a large area. Generally, you’ll need at least 25 acres of land for every 5 megawatts of installation capacity. So, keep that in mind.

The panels are photovoltaic (PV), meaning they absorb energy from the sun to produce renewable energy. They’re typically made of silicone (or a mixture of materials for thin film panels).

Aside from the panels themselves, most solar farms will also include several other key components:

• Steel beams for mounting
• Torque tubes to support the structure
• Inverters to convert DC electricity to AC
• Wiring to connect everything and transmit the energy

As a landowner, you’ll have very little involvement with the installation process. However, understanding the basic components can help you feel more informed as the project progresses.

Building a Solar Farm: What Are the Steps?

Once you’ve signed an option agreement, your project will go through several steps before it’s up and running:

0. Research

Before a developer approaches you, they’ll carry out simple desktop studies to assess the viability of a site.

This gives them a basic idea of topography, sunlight levels, weather patterns and potential energy output before they pour any significant funds into a project.

1. Securing the land, permits and planning permission

The first thing a developer will typically do is secure your land via an option agreement and begin obtaining any relevant permits. They’ll also start the planning permission process at this stage (which will happen as soon as you sign an option agreement, as the process can take a while).

This stage also involves the initial site selection and a feasibility study. This study will cover everything from soil conditions, electrical infrastructure and financial viability. Usually, this stage is also when an environmental impact assessment is carried out.

These processes don’t usually require much from you as a landowner. But you will be asked to provide access to your land for specific tests and measurements. However, the bulk of this work is handled by the developer.

2. Site survey and solar panel orientation

A site survey will occur once your site has been chosen and planning permission has been submitted.

The survey will define the boundaries for the solar panel installation and assess the site’s topography to get the angles of each panel just right.

The orientation of the solar panels is critical for optimising the system’s output. Sites with a slope greater than 5 per cent are generally seen as less than ideal for solar panels.

Developers will determine the site’s latitude, climate and overall shading during the survey. They’ll then design the site and map out where each post should go for the mounted panels for maximum potential output.

These posts are usually made from galvanised steel and then bolted to the ground for security.

3. Installing the mounting and sorting out infrastructure

Once the locations for the steel beams have been laid out, the developer will start assembling the solar mounts in rows and clearing the land.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the panels usually face north to capture the most sunlight during daytime hours.

To boost efficiency, large solar firms may even use a solar tracker to pick the perfect angle for mounting. The ideal tilt should increase conversion efficiency, but this will all depend on the time of year and the area’s irradiation level.

During mounting, a pile-driving machine is typically used to drive the posts into the ground.

This is the most disruptive part of the building process, as the machines can be loud. Plus, there can be some damage to the soil as the poles are driven through (though it’s usually minimal).

When the building team has erected the posts, the torque tubes will be placed directly on top of each row. They’re placed about four to six feet in the air and provide a sturdy base that holds the panels in place.

Just a note on speed

For landowners, it’s worth noting that this phase moves surprisingly fast as all the panels, poles and torques are standardised (unlike domestic projects where no rooftops are alike).

Your developer will also work with high-grade commercial equipment to move things along smoothly.

4. Placing the solar panels

Once the panels are in place, they’ll often be equipped with trackers. These trackers adjust the orientation of the panels throughout the day to follow the sun’s movement, ensuring the panels receive optimal sunlight.

Every developer varies in their approach to tracking, so it’s always worth checking whether your site will feature this technology.

5. Installing the electrical wiring

Once the solar panels have been placed, workers will come back to wire the panels together and get them up and running.

Usually, there will be around 26 solar modules wired in series to achieve the appropriate voltage. These modules are grouped into strings, with each row having two to four strings wired in parallel.

When this wiring is in place, the electricity generated as direct current (DC) flows through the system to inverters.

6. Connecting the solar inverter to the overall system and setting up the transformer substation

The direct current produced by the panels isn’t actually usable in the average home or business. And that’s where inverters come in.

Inverters are responsible for converting the direct current (DC) to usable alternating current (AC), which is the form required for most electrical grids.

This alternating current is then routed to a central substation, where it’s sent through a transformer to increase the voltage. From there, the electricity is sent across high-voltage transmission lines to the grid.

For context, inverters range in size from 2 MW to 4 MW, depending on the manufacturer. For a 200 MW solar farm, you would typically need around 50 to 100 inverters. This represents a significant investment for the developer.

7. Quality control

The average solar farm usually needs to make of thousands of electrical connections.

As each connection needs to be stable, technicians must check that all of these connections meet specifications before a project goes live.

Before the developer fully signs off the project, they must check the communications systems (and tracking).

Once they’ve checked these components and given them the thumbs up, a project is usually handed over to a site operator. This marks the end of the development contract and the start of the operational contract.

8. Getting a Grid connection

The final thing that a solar farm needs to recoup its investment is securing a Grid connection agreement.

Getting a Grid connection in the UK can take several years and be very costly, so developers will often apply for this right at the option agreement stage.

In many cases, developers will prioritise sites that already have an existing Grid connection to save themselves the hassle of the application process.

So, if you already have a Grid connection at (or even near) your site, you’ll be in an excellent position to get up and running quickly.

And with that, the construction process is complete—your solar farm is ready to generate clean energy.

How Does a Solar Farm Produce Energy?

A solar farm produces energy when photovoltaic cells convert solar energy into electricity.

This electricity then transfers to the power Grid for direct consumption by consumers around the country.

There are 14 local grids that split the UK into sections, and these sections supply energy to consumers across the country. Each section connects to the National Grid and keeps the country running efficiently.

Sometimes, a site will store electricity in battery form or sell it to specific businesses. However, operators will sell much of the energy harnessed from solar sites directly to the Grid or as part of a Power Purchase Agreement.

If you’d like to learn more about how a site produces solar energy, look at our detailed guide to solar energy production.

How Long Does the Construction Process Take?

A solar farm between 2 and 5 MW usually takes around eight to 14 months to develop, depending on equipment supply.

Much of the timeline also depends on Grid capacity and how long this takes to set up.

As already mentioned, the backlog for Grid connection can be several years long, making it tricky to get new projects fully up and running.

It’s also worth noting that solar farms are more complicated to build than wind farms (which can be ready in as little as two months).

This is because making the inverters, transformers and panels can take far longer.

As with any project, you’ll also need to account for any construction delays or hiccups that can push the process back.

To keep yourself up to date with the construction process of your specific project, it’s always worth contacting your developer. They’ll have the most up-to-date, detailed information that should put your mind at ease.

What Is the Impact of Building a Solar Farm on Landowners?

Although you might think that building a solar farm would have an enormous impact on a landowner’s everyday life – it simply doesn’t.

During construction, the developer will need to restrict access to your land, but this is something you’ll have agreed upon in advance. The developer will have already mapped out the necessary space during the option phase, so there won’t be any surprises.

And you’ll have already weighed up whether you can afford to leave that land vacant for up to 30 years. By the time construction begins, you should already have a clear understanding of how the project will fit into your land management plans.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the building process for a solar farm is relatively straightforward and shouldn’t worry landowners.

While some parts of the process can be time-consuming and slightly noisy, the overall impact is minimal. Plus, there’s virtually zero maintenance once the solar farm is up and running.

An occasional clean and weather maintenance (all of which a site operator will manage) is all that a site operator will need to arrange.

FAQs

How much does it cost to install a solar farm?

Maintenance costs are around £12 per kilowatt. Cleaning the panels usually costs between £4 and £15 per panel. If you’re dealing with thousands upon thousands of panels, this can quickly become significant. In terms of running costs, you’re looking at around 1 per cent of the initial startup costs per year.

Do I need planning permission and council approval for a solar farm?

Yes, you’ll need planning permission for virtually any large-scale solar project. If the project is under 50 MW, you should approach your Local Authority. Projects over 50 MW are Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and require permission from the Secretary of State for DESNZ.

There You Have It: The Ultimate Guide to Building a Solar Farm and How It Might Impact You As a Landowner

If you’re considering getting a solar project on your land, contact the friendly Lumify Energy team. We’ll happily guide you through building a solar farm, how it’ll impact you and how much you will benefit. The figures might surprise you.

Check Your Chances of Getting Solar Planning Permission

Use our free Solar Farm Planning Permission Checker to see how likely your land is to get planning approval — quick, simple, and no obligation.

Check your land now!