Are any of you guilty of nimbyism - objecting to solar farms?

ixion

Are wind farms as viable/profitable when built off shore, does anyone know?
Presumably not in the construction, but they are an alternative, presumably?
Would upset fewer people (Sorry, sea birds?)

They adversely affect marine life too. They interfere with the sonar abilities of whales, dolphins, porpoises Often confusing them to such a degree that they end up in dangerous situations as they lose their way.

Casdon

Whitewavemark2

MaizieD

ixion

Are wind farms as viable/profitable when built off shore, does anyone know?
Presumably not in the construction, but they are an alternative, presumably?
Would upset fewer people (Sorry, sea birds?)

I would imagine they'd be quite a challenge, given the behaviour of sea waters... waves, you know...

But there's nothing to stop them being built on reservoirs.

We have a big wind farm off the south coast. Been operating for maybe 5+ years and is absolutely fine, with no reported issues as far as I am aware. It serves a big area.

I’ve been thinking about what you said about reservoirs MaizieD. I wonder if they don’t do that because they are usually built in valleys so the wind power wouldn’t be viable? If it’s feasible it sounds like a good idea to sweat the assets.

But I was talking about solar PV panels, Wwmk2. I hadn't read ixion's post properly And they hadn't realised we were talking about solar farms, not wind farms.

It was a bit of a bizarre mix up, really. I was visualising an array of solar panels being tossed around by 15' waves during a storm...

I think we already have a reservoir or two with a solar 'farm' on them.

Chestnut

choughdancer

I have always been opposed to nuclear power stations, and hearing news about Ukraine makes me even more worried about having them. It sounds to me that even if they are safe to operate if they are operated properly, if the processes are interrupted as they are being in Ukraine by the Russians, they could become appallingly dangerous to the area around them.

I absolutely agree and have long been against them, but how else can we be energy self-sufficient? I really don't think solar and wind are going to provide enough reliable energy for 68 million people and even more people with each passing year.

There’s also hydroelectric power. A Severn Barrage would generate 10% of the UKs total electricity requirements, as one example.

choughdancer

I have always been opposed to nuclear power stations, and hearing news about Ukraine makes me even more worried about having them. It sounds to me that even if they are safe to operate if they are operated properly, if the processes are interrupted as they are being in Ukraine by the Russians, they could become appallingly dangerous to the area around them.

I absolutely agree and have long been against them, but how else can we be energy self-sufficient? I really don't think solar and wind are going to provide enough reliable energy for 68 million people and even more people with each passing year.

Whitewavemark2

MaizieD

ixion

Are wind farms as viable/profitable when built off shore, does anyone know?
Presumably not in the construction, but they are an alternative, presumably?
Would upset fewer people (Sorry, sea birds?)

I would imagine they'd be quite a challenge, given the behaviour of sea waters... waves, you know...

But there's nothing to stop them being built on reservoirs.

We have a big wind farm off the south coast. Been operating for maybe 5+ years and is absolutely fine, with no reported issues as far as I am aware. It serves a big area.

I’ve been thinking about what you said about reservoirs MaizieD. I wonder if they don’t do that because they are usually built in valleys so the wind power wouldn’t be viable? If it’s feasible it sounds like a good idea to sweat the assets.

Would it not be better to ensure that all new-build houses and commercial property were fitted with solar panels, give good subsidies for households, landlords, businesses to fit them to existing properties rather than use up what might be usable agricultural land?

I have always been opposed to nuclear power stations, and hearing news about Ukraine makes me even more worried about having them. It sounds to me that even if they are safe to operate if they are operated properly, if the processes are interrupted as they are being in Ukraine by the Russians, they could become appallingly dangerous to the area around them.

MaizieD

ixion

Are wind farms as viable/profitable when built off shore, does anyone know?
Presumably not in the construction, but they are an alternative, presumably?
Would upset fewer people (Sorry, sea birds?)

I would imagine they'd be quite a challenge, given the behaviour of sea waters... waves, you know...

But there's nothing to stop them being built on reservoirs.

We have a big wind farm off the south coast. Been operating for maybe 5+ years and is absolutely fine, with no reported issues as far as I am aware. It serves a big area.

I would have no objection to solar or wind farms near me. I actually think the wind turbines are quite beautiful. I would, however, have an issue with a nuclear power plant near my home.

The other factor is what type of land people want to develop a solar farm on. High quality agricultural land should not be used for solar farms, only land that’s unsuitable for crops.

There is one large 200+ acre solar farm close to town but it’s hardly visible because of its location, I don’t have any objection to them or wind turbines as long as I can’t hear them it’s fine.

Although off shore wind is more expensive to install it is more efficient because wind speed is more consistent so it’s highly likely that will be the direction that gets developed.

The French are still offering grants for solar panels and also insulation. As a result we are bombarded by phone calls from companies trying to sell them to us. Also, I think that you have to use certain companies and because they know that one is likely to get a grant, the price goes up.

Jaxjacky

No problem here for solar farms, we need to look to the future. We quite like the wind turbines, they’re rather majestic, had them near us in France.

Near where I live a large solar farm has been built between the autoroute and a railway line, on land belonging to the commune so the residents in that commune should benefit financially from rent.

A large supermarket near me has built a large area of panels over part of its car park. It's like a large roof which has also provided shelter from the weather. Surely there can be no reason for the large supermarkets in the UK to do the same?

It all depends. We have a number solar farms in our parish and no one compalins, but sometimes solar energy companies want to put their panels in places that impinge on settings of places of exceptional beauty, or are very obvious from local viewpoints. Then the bjection isn't to the solar farm, but its location within the landscape.

People like to get very worked up about nimbyism, but there is far less of it around than people imagine. Like with new housing, mosr communities accept that there is need for many new houses and that they need to be in there community, but there will be some sites where they are not considered appropriate.

In our village over 500 new houses have been built, most accepted without comment, but there was one estate that we were very concerned about. Immediately we were accused ofnimbyism, even though we had accepted the building of three other estates without comment. By saying this kind of thing, and of course, it is the developer saying it, it immediately tars the opposition as being unreasonable.

It is the same with solar farm. A parish can acceopt four solar farms without comment. Th moment it objects to the fifth because it is close to a local beauty spot. Those who object are called NIMBYs. The fact that they have been accepted the first four solar arrays is completely ignored.

MaizieD

Casdon

Wind farms are already being built in the sea.
doggerbank.com/
This will be the biggest in the world apparently. I’m less in favour of solar farms on land, because they take up a lot more room for the amount of energy generated, although it does make sense to utilise existing roof capacity, of which there must be vast quantities.

Whoops. I misread ixion's post. Slightly understandable as we are discussing solar farms, not wind farms. But apologies all the same.

There are quite a lot of windmills built at sea already. Apart from the fact that I think they are very ugly, I don't have a problem with them.

Sorry, my error,
Solar farms, indeed!

Yes what appears to be an entire community near me is objecting to a proposed solar farm. Its interesting to watch.

GrannyGravy13

I think it should be a legal requirement for all new builds to have solar panels, along with water harvesting systems, triple glazing and top notch insulation.

Solar panels should be on factories, schools, hospitals any building really.

There is a huge solar panel farm in the North East of our County along with several wind farms. The nuclear power station has been taken off grid and is decommissioned.

Absolutely agree with you, GG13. I've been thinking that for a long time, too.

I have read that the EU are looking to make it mandatory. Such a shame we left...

I rather think that people objecting to solar farms on fields are doing so on aesthetic rather than environmental grounds. As far ass I'm aware though don't pose an environmental challenge.

Though I agree that, as I said earlier, solar PV panels can go just about anywhere.

I think it should be a legal requirement for all new builds to have solar panels, along with water harvesting systems, triple glazing and top notch insulation.

Solar panels should be on factories, schools, hospitals any building really.

There is a huge solar panel farm in the North East of our County along with several wind farms. The nuclear power station has been taken off grid and is decommissioned.

Sometimes they do nanna8 dormice, slow worms and great crested newts can halt development, sometimes they’re relocated or built around, oh and bats.

Casdon

Wind farms are already being built in the sea.
doggerbank.com/
This will be the biggest in the world apparently. I’m less in favour of solar farms on land, because they take up a lot more room for the amount of energy generated, although it does make sense to utilise existing roof capacity, of which there must be vast quantities.

Whoops. I misread ixion's post. Slightly understandable as we are discussing solar farms, not wind farms. But apologies all the same.

There are quite a lot of windmills built at sea already. Apart from the fact that I think they are very ugly, I don't have a problem with them.

Whitewavemark2

Frankly until technology comes up with an alternative, I don’t see we have a choice.

Solar panels are the way to go.

totally agree- but there are miles and miles of rooves, industrial, business sites, warehouses, public building (schools, hospitals, town halls), farming and private, for this. We should not be using green fields and cover them with solar panels.

At least they don’t discover a rare parrot or butterfly to stop them like they do here.

Wind farms are already being built in the sea.
doggerbank.com/
This will be the biggest in the world apparently. I’m less in favour of solar farms on land, because they take up a lot more room for the amount of energy generated, although it does make sense to utilise existing roof capacity, of which there must be vast quantities.

ixion

Are wind farms as viable/profitable when built off shore, does anyone know?
Presumably not in the construction, but they are an alternative, presumably?
Would upset fewer people (Sorry, sea birds?)

I would imagine they'd be quite a challenge, given the behaviour of sea waters... waves, you know...

But there's nothing to stop them being built on reservoirs.