Amid long-running planning, regulatory measures, and grid access delays, the Devizes Solar Ltd project may finally get its day in the sun. Literally. Plans for the large, 32-hectare (approximately 79 acres) solar grid project are before Wiltshire Council, awaiting approval.

The project is substantial, including four banks of “tracker” solar panels, an off-site substation, significant security measures, and a 1.8-kilometer underground cable.

The 12-year delay is not at all unusual, given the tough regulatory measures and Landscape and Ecological Management Plan proposals passing muster versus pushback from the Council for the Protection of Rural England, the British Horse Society, and the Poulshot Parish Council.

While the delay is unfortunate, the Wiltshire Council seems to be on board, despite turning down two other solar farm proposals earlier in the year.

Solar farms, especially on this scale, assist local communities in shifting away from fossil fuels while reducing heat-trapping pollution on a broader scale. They bring jobs to the area via supply chain support and help stabilize the energy grid.

Housing values stabilize, and renewable returns often drastically outperform dirty fuels. A Renewable Energy Institute report shows that photovoltaic systems are 41% cheaper than the lowest-cost fossil fuel options.

According to the applicant, Michael Breslaw, the solar farm will “provide 5,000 homes a year with clean electricity.” The plans also include improved biodiversity and an integrated aesthetic with the surrounding countryside.

With additional planting in the proposal, the agrivoltaic potential of the area is evident. Known as “dual-use” farming, agrivoltaic solar farms incorporate crops or livestock, sharing the land and upending the common notion that solar farms take up too much land.

“Sheep grazing could be incorporated into the scheme,” the application states.

Large-scale solar farm development in the U.K. is growing, with government pledges to more than double solar capacity to 45 gigawatts by 2030, per SolarTherm UK.

The installation of the Devizes Solar Ltd project would further those goals, delivering clean energy to residents and continuing to chip away at dirty energy.

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