Solar energy is now the lowest cost electricity generation technology
What started as a heavily-subsidised initiative to start cleaning up the UK’s fossil fuel based electricity system has – thanks to rapid technology and supply chain development – become a key building block of a UK that will run on clean, low cost and home-grown electricity.
Solar is the fastest growing renewable energy technology in the UK because it provides the lowest cost electricity, is the simplest to install, and can be used to generate electricity close to the villages, towns and cities that need it.
Solar supplied a record 6.3% of Great Britain’s electricity in 2025 delivering a 30% increase on generation in 2024. However, we currently only have one third of the solar generation capacity necessary to meet the Government’s Clean Power 2030 target.
Supporting the longer term transition to zero emissions transport and heat.
The next 25 years will see electricity demand double as our petrol cars and gas-fired heating systems are replaced by electric versions to achieve the UK’s target of reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050.
Solar’s low cost, simplicity and adaptability will significantly contribute to meeting that increased electricity demand. Whether as large scale solar farms, on the roofs of homes and businesses or built into the cars that we drive and and electronic devices that we use.
What exactly is a solar farm and how do you build one?
Solar panels are the basic building block of any solar installation. A silicon layer in the panel converts the sun’s rays into a direct electric current. An inverter transforms that current into the alternating current that we use in our homes and to transport electricity across the country.
On a solar farm panels are raised off the ground on metal frames and thousands of panels are connected together to generate enough electricity to power a small town rather than a single household. The solar farm is connected to a nearby electricity substation so that power can be delivered to local homes and business.
The benefits of installing panels as a solar farm are two-fold. Installation is simple and low-cost while there are significant economies of scale to be gained when installing thousands of panels at the same time. Panels can also be positioned without the constraints of roof shapes or shade from nearby buildings to ensure they capture the maximum available solar energy. Together this enables solar farms to generate electricity at the cheapest unit cost of any renewable energy technology.
A typical large scale solar farm will produce enough electricity each year to power around 15,000 homes. Most solar farms will also have battery storage to enable some of the energy generated during the day to be released onto the network at night.
Anatomy of a solar project
Discover the key components of a solar farm
Contains all the elements/switchgear to connect to the local grid network
Convert current from DC to AC
Increases the voltage to meet the required voltage at the local network
Solar farms as nature reserves
The continued creep of farming, housing and commercial development across the natural landscape is also a contributor to climate change by reducing the natural environments’ ability to store carbon and regulate water flows.
We have learned from early solar farm projects that, rather than continue the erosion of natural ecosystems, a well designed project can significantly increase biodiversity and strengthen natural ecosystems –
- Wildflower and grass planting around batteries and under the panels encourages insects and pollinators and
- Using native trees and shrubs to construct site boundaries creates new wildlife habitats
- Natural drainage systems using ponds, swales and wetland meadows encourages insects and amphibians
- Further new habitats are created through the construction of ponds, bat and bird boxes, butterfly banks and log pile housing across the site
Each of our solar projects delivers on average a 65 per cent increase in biodiversity.
Designing solar to ensure safety, sustainability and minimise neighbourhood impact
Project sites are carefully chosen based on existing screening from roads, footpaths, houses and elevated viewpoints. This might be existing trees and hedgerows or natural features like slopes and ridges. Additional planting further increases boundary vegetation so that from most viewpoints, even natural elevations, the site can’t be seen.
While solar panels and batteries are almost silent, the cooling fans for the inverters that convert electricity for transmission to the local electricity grid and battery storage containers produce a low decibel noise when operational. These units are usually sited away from the site boundaries so inaudible to local residents and passers-by.
With no moving parts or liquids, solar farms are considered an incredibly reliable and safe technology. In fact, once operational, maintenance is largely restricted to cleaning panels and mowing the grass in front of panels if the site isn’t grazed by sheep.
Further, without concrete foundations, a solar farm is a lightweight installation that is easily dismantled and removed at the end of projects operational lifetime, leaving no lasting imprint on the land barring the additional planting and wildlife habitats created as part of the project. There is a growing market for solar panel recycling and it is expected that almost all materials used on the project will be recycled after dismantling.
Solar panels
Stock fencing
Hedgerow planting
Hedgerow and mature tree planting
Public footpath
Shrub and tree planting
Projects
Spennymoor solar
Clearstone is developing a colocated solar and storage project that will connect to the National Grid substation at Spennymoor, near to Durham in northern England.
Eaton socon solar
Clearstone is developing a colocated solar and storage project that will connect to the National Grid substation at Eaton Socon, near to St Neots in Bedfordshire.
Warley Energy Hub 2
The Warley Energy Hub 2 project is located near to Upminster to the east of London. Planning Consent for the project was granted in July 2025 by Havering District Council.
Little Horsted Solar
Clearstone is developing a colocated solar and storage project that will connect to the new National Grid substation at Little Horsted, near to Uckfield in Sussex.
Great Oak Energy Hub – 400MW battery energy storage project
The Great Oak Energy Hub is a 400MW battery energy storage project in Sussex that will connect to the UKs electricity transmission network alongside more than 2GW of wind and solar generation.
Bramford storage – 400MW battery energy storage project
Bramford Storage is a 400MW battery energy storage project in Suffolk that will connect to the UKs electricity transmission network alongside more than 4GW of wind, solar and nuclear generation.
Warley Energy Hub – 200MW battery energy storage project
Warley Energy Hub Public Consultation
Worset Lane Energy Hub- 200MW battery energy storage project
The Worset Lane Energy hub is a 200MW battery energy storage project that will connect to UK’s electricity transmission network at Hartlepool and support the growth of offshore wind generation in north east England.
Junction 27 Energy Hub – 400MW battery energy storage project
Junction 27 Energy hub is a 400MW battery energy storage project that will connect to UK’s electricity transmission network in Devon and support the delivery of a secure, reliable and clean electricity supply to homes and business in the south west of England.
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