As a medium size company, the best we can do is to rely on our financing bank. It is a green investment bank, which makes ethical investments only and has dedicated staff to check this. They are looking keenly at the Uyghurs in China and the human rights situation. With their support, we avoid components with potential conflict on human rights.
As the purchase of panels takes place at a later stage, we cannot say today which exact brand of solar modules we will use. Nevertheless, with the support of the bank, we take into account the status of several ethics related aspects that might interest solar panels manufacturers, not only human rights. For example, we have recently decided to not buy Hanwha modules, because the parent company is manufacturing weapons, which is another area we do not wish to be associated with.
Solar panels are designed with a special coating to absorb the sun’s rays. This means that reflection in the form of glint and glare is avoided as much as possible by design, since it would otherwise lead to a potential loss of energy. A comparative study of common reflective surfaces shows that solar panels reflect less light than, for instance, steel, standard glass or plastic.
Any remanent reflection is minimal and only occurs at a fixed angle in relation to the solar panels. The time the sun shines on the solar panels at this angle is very short during the day and not all days throughout the year. In addition, landscaping such as a hedges around the solar farm can prevent any remaining glare that could cause a nuisance in the surrounding area.
A solar farm produces virtually no noise. The solar panels themselves do their work silently. The inverters that convert the direct current from the solar panels to alternating current for the electricity grid are available without fans. The transformer needed at a solar farm produces a light buzz as soon as the sun shines its brightest in the middle of the day, but this quickly fades away from background noise in the surrounding area. Given the distance between the intended solar farm and homes in the area, we expect that local residents will not be able to hear the solar farm from their homes.
The lifetime of the park is a minimum of 25, rather 30 year. Putting money aside earlier than after 20 year would mean that money would be blocked unnecessarily on a notary’s account. If there was a massive concern, a decommissioning analysis could be done already earlier after 15 year, and such amount then put subsequently on an account for safety purposes.
There is a refinement prosses that the panels go through in order to be reused and yes, the technology is available in order to do this. All of the materials that make up the panel are separated, 95% of which can be recycled.
Among this 95%, glass and metals i.e. aluminium frames are recycled, while plastics go through a thermal process and are used as a heat source. The separations of the solar modules are again melted down and then able to be reused for other solar modules.
By 2030 already 60million solar modules will have been recycled and used to make new panels.
One of the studies we carry out to assess the suitability of the location is an Ecological Impact Assessment, which evaluates the ecological value of the area and proposes enhancement measures and necessary mitigation. Some of the species we survey for include badgers, bats, great crested newt, brown hare, and birds. Together with the development we will plant new species-rich grassland and new hedgerow bolster. All hedgerows will be maintained, bat and bird boxes will be installed, and the fence surrounding the solar farm will not start from the ground, but from a height that allows small animals to pass beneath it (such as badgers and brown hares).
Kronos Solar takes great care in revising multiple elements for a proposed location of a solar farm. Examples of the criteria we take into consideration are the distance from the site to nearby residential premises, existing designations of the land, ground characteristics, size of the land, presence of grid connection and the current use of the terrain. Additionally, it is imperative that the solar irradiation at the location is optimal for the efficient production of energy per square meter.
We aim to use as many local companies as possible to construct the solar farm, fence it off, plant the required vegetation screening that helps mitigating visual impact effects, and take care of the maintenance of the site. We encourage any local businesses who want to be part of these processes and fulfil the skill set to get in touch in order to have the best community integrated approach.
Modifications to the size of the solar farm can only take place through additional planning applications. This is currently not under consideration.
This is a common fear, yet there are no records of devaluation when proper landscape integration is done[1]. We aspire to integrate the park well limiting visual impact.
[1] Jones, P., & Comfort, D. Solar Farm Development in the UK. Retrieved 21 May 2021, from http://eprints.glos.ac.uk/1041/1/SOLAR%20FARM%20DEVELOPMENT%20IN%20THE%20UK%20%7BREVISION2%7D.pdf
A solar farm is a piece of land containing photovoltaic panels that generate electricity from the sun. Sizes can vary from just a couple of acres to more than 200 acres. The solar panels are placed on a specialized framing often oriented to the south, to receive the highest irradiation possible. As a result, they deliver power to the grid via an inverter and a transformer. The energy supplier then provides real green electricity to private individuals and companies.
According to the standards of the solar industry, from when the solar farm starts generating electricity, it will take less than 2 years to bring the carbon footprint back to zero. This figure includes also the complete lifecycle of panels. Once the carbon footprint is offset, the solar farm will produce carbon free power during its remaining operational life.
The solar panels are mounted on structures above the ground such that the sun can still reach the soil and vegetation beneath it preventing the loss of fertility of the land. In fact, during the operation of the solar farm, vegetation tends to grow and small animals re-emerge on the landscape. Thanks to the presence of the solar panels and to the absence of disruptive agricultural practices, the land has a chance to recover and the land’s fertility is further enhanced. Kronos Solar contractually assumes responsibility for returning the land back to the state in which it was obtained after the period of operation.
Most people prefer not to have direct views into solar farms. For this reason, we plant a variety of local plants around the farm, that conceal the panels and enhance the site boundaries. Bird houses and bat boxes are placed on nearby trees and can also be placed on the transformer houses and other structural elements in the farm. In general, the layout of a solar farm allows for placing honey bee nests and/or for sheep grazing. The integration of the solar farm into the landscape is done according to local and regional regulations and in cooperation with landscape architects.
This is certainly an option, but the amount of energy produced is not enough if we want to reach the Net Zero Targets set by the UK government. To do this, all types of renewable energies need to be supported and deployed alike: Wind, geothermal, biomass, solar panels on roofs, and, solar panels on fields.
We are required by the insurance company to place fences around the modules. The supplementary drawing of the proposed deer fence shows that the piles are up to 2.25 metres in height and that the wire mesh is 2 metres in height. For clarification, we have respected the footpaths that run along the land and have left an easement of 3 metres between the footpaths and the fence, as well as other 3 metres between the fence and the module tables. Effectively, people walking on the footpaths would be at least 6 metres away from module tables. Moreover, screening through vegetation will be provided following the recommendations of the independent specialists that surveyed the land.