Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we need solar farms?
Northern Ireland’s Climate Bill has a target to meet at least 80% of electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2030.Whilst Northern Ireland has been successful at utilising its natural resources, to meet its electricity needs, around 50% of electricity consumption still comes from fossil fuels. Significant new renewable generation is required to meet this target with solar having an important role to play.
Solar energy also enables more electricity to be generated domestically without reliance on imports and is not subject to sudden price fluctuations or the uncertainty of global markets. It can therefore play an important role in improving the security and diversification of NI’s energy supply.
Why have you chosen this site?
The site has been chosen as it lies outside of any statutory ecological and landscape designations. Importantly it has a viable grid connection which can be achieved via the existing 110kV transmission overhead lines, which cross the site, which negates the need for an approximate 9km grid connection.
How much electricity would the solar farm produce?
Glenhead Solar Farm would be capable of generating up to 80MW of clean, low cost electricity. That's enough to power around 24,000 homes2.
The project would also include a 100MW battery energy storage system which can store energy at times when generation exceeds demand and releasing electricity back to the national grid network when demand exceeds generation. Battery energy storage is also considered the fastest technology for responding to a sudden spike in demand or an abrupt loss of supply.
Due to the existing high levels of renewable generation in the northwest, we anticipate that Glenhead will provide a significant opportunity for energy storage which will contribute to wider grid decarbonisation.
What stage is the project at?
Following our public exhibition in June 2024, we took some time to carefully consider the feedback received from the local community and statutory stakeholders as well as collating findings from site surveys and investigations.
As a result, we held another public exhibition in the local area to share key design changes to the 2024 design. This was held on Thursday 19th March 4-8pm. For more information click here.
The information from the 2024 public exhibition and the newsletter we sent out in December 2024 responding to common questions and concerns can also be found on the website under "consultation" or by clicking the links above.
What if I can't make it to the public exhibition?
All the information presented at the in person exhibition will be available to view on this website for a minimum of 28 days.
If you have any questions or queries please do contact us.
What benefits will the project deliver?
Glenhead Solar Farm also has significant potential to enhance biodiversity, hosting a range of habitats including wildflower meadows, hedgerows, and nectar-rich areas for pollinators. A typical solar farm uses around just 5% of the total site area with the rest of the land remaining undisturbed, creating significant opportunities to provide a range of ecological benefits.
RES is committed to ensuring that, wherever possible, local contractors and employees are used in all aspects of solar farm development. The major opportunities arise during the construction phase when suitably qualified local firms are often invited to bid for different aspects of construction. We encourage our contractors to source construction materials locally (i.e. within the county) and to use local transport and plant hire companies where possible, in addition to local services and amenities.
RES also believes that our renewable energy schemes should also provide meaningful benefits locally. If the Glenhead project is consented, we are committed to launching our innovative Local Electricity Discount Scheme (LEDS), which provides an annual discount on the electricity bills of properties closest to the solar farm.
The scheme would be open to all residential, business and community buildings (including schools, places of worship and village halls) within the eligible area with an electricity meter. We continue to welcome feedback from the community on any alternative suggestions that will help to secure long-term economic, social and environmental benefits and provide a lasting legacy in the local area.
Would construction of the solar farm generate lots of traffic?
If the solar farm is consented, during the construction period, there will be short periods where there will be peak traffic flow for equipment delivery. During the construction period, we estimate there will be a average daily maximum of 10 HGV vehicles (20 movements). Much of the time, traffic will be limited to personnel getting to and from site.
We have consulted with the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Roads, the emergency services, the local community and other relevant bodies to produce a Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) to support any planning application. The CTMP will outline the overall framework for managing the safe movement of construction and delivery traffic as well as itemising the expected number of traffic movements and timing restrictions.
The traffic movements will be limited to avoid morning and evening peak times, where possible. There will also be a dedicated Community Liaison Officer to engage with local residents throughout the construction and operational phases.
Do solar farms pose a risk to food security?
Solar farms do not pose a threat to food security. One of the biggest risks to food security is the changing climate.
Glenhead Solar Farm will help towards tackling climate change and furthermore, is specifically designed to be dual purpose, enabling continued agricultural use, in the form of sheep grazing, and renewable generation.
Solar farm developments are also temporary in nature and fully reversible. Where a solar farm is installed on land which has been intensively farmed, it enables the ground underneath to recover, while providing income for the farming business. Solar farms also help regenerate soil quality, and so are helping to ensure the continued availability of high-quality agricultural acreage for future generations.
Shouldn't solar be put onto roofs?
Rooftop solar has an important role to play in decarbonising the UK’s energy system. Analysis by Solar Energy UK in 2021 estimated that rooftop installations on residential and commercial buildings could account for around 37% (15GW) of the projected 2030 solar PV deployment of 40GW, with the remaining 63% (25GW) coming from large scale ground mounted solar farms3. This projection highlights the continued importance of a balance mix between rooftop and utility-scale solar.
How many solar panels will there be and how tall are they?
We have reduced the height of the solar panels from 3.6m to 3m tall. This height is becoming more common as solar technology becomes increasingly efficient allowing increased generation in a smaller area.
The height also allows the optimum ground clearance for sheep grazing and is the effective height for the use of the more efficient bifacial panels which we propose for Glenhead.
Bifacial solar panels which as the name suggests, have two sides of solar cells, enabling additional energy generation from the reflected and diffused light on the rear-side of the panels. Solar panels do not require direct sunlight to produce energy – diffuse sunlight is sufficient, and a grass surface reflects enough light to justify the use of bifacial modules.
1 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6556027d046ed400148b99fe/electricity-generation-costs-2023.pdf
2 The homes figure has been calculated by taking the predicted annual electricity generation of the site (using an average solar capacity factor of 11.2%) and dividing this by the annual average electricity figures from DESNZ showing that the annual GB average domestic household consumption is 3,239 kWh (January 2024).
3 https://solarenergyuk.org/resource/lighting-the-way-making-net-zero-a-reality-with-solar-energy/?cn-reloaded=1