National Land Photovoltaic Bracket Installation

What is a stand-alone solar PV installation?

For the purposes of planning stand-alone solar PV installations are those that are not physically attached to a building, although they can be wired to provide electricity to a building.

What is a photovoltaic mounting system?

Photovoltaic mounting systems (also called solar module racking) are used to fix solar panels on surfaces like roofs, building facades, or the ground. These mounting systems generally enable retrofitting of solar panels on roofs or as part of the structure of the building (called BIPV).

What land should a solar PV project use?

2. Commercial scale ground mounted solar PV Ground Mounted Solar PV projects, over 50kWp, should ideally utilise previously developed land, brownfield land, contaminated land, industrial land or agricultural land preferably of classification 3b, 4, and 5 (avoiding the use of “Best and Most Versatile” cropland where possible).

What is the fee category for a large scale solar PV installation?

There is no national guidance on the fee category for large scale ground mounted solar PV installations. However, normally such applications fall within Category 5 (erection, alteration or replacement of plant or machinery) of the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications and Deemed Applications) as amended.

What land should a large scale PV array use?

Ideally ground mounted large scale PV arrays should utilise previously developed land, brownfield land, contaminated land, industrial land or agricultural land preferably of classification 3b, 4 or 5.

Can a large scale PV array be installed on a site?

Whilst there is no ban prohibiting ground mounted large scale PV arrays on sites classified agricultural 1, 2 and 3a or designated for their natural beauty or acknowledged/recognised ecological/archaeological importance/ interest it is unlikely that planning permission will be granted where there is significant impact on these designations.