Here’s the full text of a letter that has been submitted to several newspapers, in case it’s edited if published.
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Sir,
I was appalled to read that a local authority bordering our own West Norfolk is actively seeking landowners to register interest in one of the most contentious local issues of our time: vast swathes of arable farmland being swallowed up by industrial-scale solar developments. The only real beneficiaries of this are the landowners, the energy giants, and utility-scale solar developers.
The UK solar industry has so far covered just 6% or 7% of commercial rooftop space—though I’m pleased to report that it’s a little higher here in King’s Lynn. By covering just 80% of those roofs it’s been calculated that we could meet around 50% of the UK’s daytime energy demand for 7–8 months of the year. With the current number of installers available in the UK, we could achieve that in under two years.
Solar is the fastest energy source to deploy. It’s the cleanest, the most scalable, and the most practical—but only when it’s placed where it’s needed most: on the rooftops of this great nation. And considering it doesn’t actually cost anything up front to install, there are no barriers to mass roll out.
On the rooftops, out of sight, where the demand is highest, and with the added benefit that industrial estates are already grid-connected—no need for miles of pylons. End users see a massive reduction in energy costs, which directly boosts British manufacturing. Less energy is drawn from the grid, reducing our fossil fuel dependency increasing our National Energy Security.
If some farmers believe this is their golden egg moment, dressing it up as environmentalism, I urge them to do the right thing. Say no to the blight—and join us in doing solar right.
A 100MW solar farm could blight and impact 15 parishes or small towns in a single locality. All that energy has to be distributed to the grid. It’s big, it’s expensive, it’s ugly and it benefits very few.
Instead, by allocating just 5–10 acres to each village and parish that farms surround, we could build 1–2MW community solar parks. These need no more than 10 acres and can be accompanied by wildflower meadows, walking routes, and local environmental features. Placed near existing transformers or substations, where connection points already exist, these projects would put real power in the hands of local people—deciding where they go, what surrounds them, and how they are used, including for school education. Who knows—those schools might just produce the next climate champion who truly helps solve the issues we face.
Our industry has people everywhere. My own company is a member of the UK’s only installer-led network and can coordinate over 80 solar companies nationwide at very short notice.
In my own village, there are three solar companies. There’s one in the neighbouring village, and I know of at least eight others in West Norfolk alone. The same applies across the UK.
For many years, we’ve said that we have the solutions to climate change. I’m now saying—we are the solution. Not just in the fight against climate change, but in boosting the local economy, creating jobs, launching new education programmes, developing usable parkland, and delivering cleaner, cheaper electricity.
Village and community halls across West Norfolk and beyond are managed by committees made up of some of the most sensible and experienced people in our society. Many are retired from careers in governance, industry, and management. They have time, and they have insight.
Empower them. Support local businesses. And show a damn sight more respect for the countryside—and for the long-term goal of carbon-free energy independence—instead of falling for the short-term, high-impact cash cow that is centralised grid distribution.
The sun is the universal giver of life. It’s there to be shared.
And that’s how we’ll build a Solar Nation. Not just here in the UK, but globally.
Kevin Holland
CEO, The Solar Nation Assured Installer Network