Page 380 - A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Energy Systems

Chapter 19 • Solar Panels in the Landscape 387

of the relationship between a fort located on a vantage point and the landscape the oc-
cupants once surveyed. Physical disturbance to the site during construction can damage
cultural heritage features, and appropriate design mitigation should be used to avoid this.
Construction works for any type of development can also reveal hidden archaeological
features; such findings may have consequences for further construction, and sites with
particular local sensitivity should have an archaeological watching brief in place during
construction.
Operational solar farms do not generate noise, but noise may be an issue during con-
struction for properties or public routes nearby, particularly during the sinking of piles if
they are used. however, construction effects are generally short-lived and can be reduced
by the use of other anchoring techniques or controlled to a degree by conditions such as
restricting working hours.
Views of solar farms from above come into play when considering aircraft safety, and
solar sites close to airports risk glint and glare for pilots on approach routes. It is noticeable
however, that numerous airfields have solar panel installations on buildings or land as a
source of renewable energy to offset high airport energy costs. research carried out by the
Solar Trade Association has suggested that glint and glare are less of a concern than could
perhaps be expected, with antireflective coating on panels reducing glare to similar levels
to black asphalt surfaces or water bodies [13].

19.5 Offset Mitigation

Some of the environmental effects of solar panel farms can be mitigated to reduce or avoid
adverse effects. mitigation can also be used to offset or compensate for environmental effects.
mitigation to offset ecological impacts with alternative biodiversity benefits takes
various forms in the uK, including maintaining or planting native species in the screen-
ing hedges, which provide food sources and habitats for wildlife. Additional measures
often include planting wildflowers around site edges or among the panels (Fig. 19.11),
and small-scale interventions such as supporting the installation of bat, bird or owl nest-
ing boxes can have local benefits, particularly where these species have been identified
in survey work.
Another form of mitigation for the loss of the former primary agricultural use of the
land is to introduce alternative forms of agriculture that can carry on below the panels and
be an extra source of income from the land. These include grazing sheep, which can pass
under the panels with ease and can feed on the grassland between the arrays. The panels
will provide shade and shelter for the sheep, and are not damaged by the sheep, although
there can be a concern about sheep chewing on cabling left within reach. Free range poul-
try rearing is also potentially a good use of the land below the panels, poultry housing can
be fitted below the panels, the darker drier areas below the panels provide dust baths for
the birds, and perimeter security fencing will keep predators away.
Farm diversification is important for continued viability of both small and large farms,
and the continuation of other forms of agriculture below the solar installation is seen as a