Noble Green Energy Blog // How Many Acres Do You Need for Solar Panels?

Solar panels are a popular way for businesses of all types and sizes to create their own energy source, add a new revenue stream and contribute to a greener world. The UK’s solar power market is projected to grow from 15 gigawatts in 2023 to 43 gigawatts by 2028, marking an impressive compound annual growth rate of 23.53%. Are you thinking about installing solar panels on your land and building your own solar farm? Noble Green Energy is here to help. In this blog, Noble Green Energy explores the different types of solar farms, as well as how many kWp of solar panels is optimal to install per acre.

What Are Solar Farms?

Before we get started, the definition of a solar farm is “an installation or area of land in which a large number of solar panels are set up in order to generate electricity.” They use ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and are on a much greater scale than a domestic roof-mounted installation.

What Are Solar Farms Used For?

Did you know that there are various types of solar farms across the UK? Different types depend on different sizes and the way they are used. The two main types of solar farms are Community Solar Farms and Large-Scale Solar Farms.

Community Solar Farms

Community solar farms are used by small communities to benefit from the renewable energy source without having to install them individually themselves due to cost and space. Usually on the smaller side and the result of a community pooling their money together or using a grant from the council to lease land for the solar farm, there are many across the UK. Examples include: Reach Community Solar Farm, Gawcott Fields Community Solar Project, and Creacombe Community Solar Farm.

Large-Scale Solar Farms

Compared to community solar farms, large-scale solar farms are much larger in size and are commonly funded by governments, investors or businesses themselves. More and more, there is a growing number of companies funding their own large-scale solar farms to reduce energy consumption and contribute to Net Zero.

How Many Solar Farms Are There in the UK?

Currently, there are around 1,170 solar farms in the UK according to the UK Electricity Production website. This number is set to continually grow, especially in line with Labour’s new plan for solar energy being implemented and the government’s Net Zero targets.

What is the Biggest Solar Farm in the UK?

Landmead solar farm in East Hanney, Oxfordshire is the biggest solar farm in the UK. Consisting of 180,000 solar panels across 230 acres of land, it is connected to the National Grid and has the capability of powering 14,000 homes.

How Many Solar Panels Per Acre?

You could be excused for assuming that because the typical commercial solar panel is approximately 2m² and one acre is 4,047m², then around 2,000 solar panels will fit into one acre. The reality, of course, is very different as it’s not merely a case of laying the panels next to each other flat on the ground.

Typically, you would expect to install approximately 1,000kWp or 1MWp of Solar PV generation capacity per acre of land.

However, there is not a one-size-fits-all answer to this question as it depends on various different factors such as the relative incline of the land, the optimum angle of the panels, the height of the mounting kit and the distance between rows/acceptable shading loss, which could be dependent upon a Payback vs ROI judgement call. You will also need to consider local guidelines.

There are various different types of mounting structures however, for your average commercial ground mount application, a pole-mounted system will be utilised where the panels are elevated typically 50-100cm above the ground at an angle of 30-35 degrees.

The mounting structure will usually see panels stacked vertically, two panels high, although you will occasionally see four panels stacked horizontally. Either way generates a very similar footprint and shading affect on the row behind.

The space left between tables of solar panels will typically vary between 5-8 metres and will be designed to reduce shading to an acceptable level, optimising the kWp of energy generation per acre of land, whilst leaving more than adequate space for essential operations and maintenance.

When considering installing a solar farm, it is of course essential that you engage with the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) who will advise on any potential costs involved to upgrade the electrical infrastructure along with any restrictions that may be imposed on generation and/or how much you can export. Noble Green Energy can assist with support and consultation in this area.

Consult with a Solar PV Partner

By consulting with a solar PV partner for commercial, industrial and agricultural businesses, such as Noble Green Energy, you can rest assured that your solar farm is designed with your space and energy needs in mind.

We understand it can be difficult to determine how many solar panels your land can accommodate, or specifically how much energy you can generate per acre, how much solar panels cost, which solar panels are right for you, energy production requirements and how you would like to import and export it.

Contact Noble Green Energy today to discuss your requirements and see how we can help you with your solar farm.

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