Impacts of solar farms in UK agriculture

Solar farms are typically installed on low grade arable land and improved pasture, and may be managed by grazing or harvested for animal feed, thus maintaining productivity with minimal input. They usually incorporate measures to enhance local biodiversity or to mitigate losses. Importantly, they diversify and solidify income for a beleaguered farming industry, which may shelter rural businesses from economic shocks and improve food security. Of all the renewable technologies, solar arguably has the greatest potential to deliver net gains in ecosystem services. My research aims to assess the positive and negative impacts of solar farms to guide existing management and inform future development