Solar Projects

Debunking Myths about Solar Farms

09 March 2026

4 min. read

Solar farms are now a familiar part of the UK’s and Ireland’s energy landscape, yet public debate is still shaped by outdated assumptions, misleading reporting, and myths that do not reflect how modern solar projects operate. This misinformation risks undermining progress toward national climate targets, creates unnecessary concern within the public, and prevents the UK and Ireland from gaining necessary access to secure supply of home-grown energy. The solar industry must do more to communicate the facts and inform the public about what solar farms are, and the benefits they bring.

Below, we address some of the most common solar myths with evidence from national studies, expert briefings, and industry analysis.

Ashley McInnes

Lead Renewables Developer

A large array of angled solar panels outdoors reflecting sunlight, with a partly cloudy sky in the background.

Myth 1: Solar farms “take away” agricultural land and threaten food security

Some media reports suggest that solar farms permanently remove productive farmland and thus threaten national food supplies. Evidence shows that actually the opposite is the case:

The biggest threat to food production in the medium and long term is climate change. It could reduce the proportion of high-grade agricultural land from 38% to 11% by 2050 if emissions continue as expected. So instead of threatening food production, solar farms support it by contributing clean, low carbon electricity which mitigates climate impacts, which are already damaging crop yields.

What should also be considered:

Solar farms are temporary and reversible. They don’t take land but merely borrow it.
Solar farms only take up a very small proportion, currently only 0.1% of the UK’s land. Even if there were six times as many solar farms installed around the UK, they would still cover less land than the amount currently used for golf courses.
The spaces that are covered by panels can benefit from temporarily hosting a solar farm by recovering soil health during periods of reduced tillage, and reductions in use of fertiliser, herbicides and pesticides.
Panels don’t occupy the entire area of a solar farm, typically only less than half the site. The remaining space can often be used for agricultural purposes, such as animal grazing, and can also be available for grassland or habitat and biodiversity enhancement.

Myth 2: Solar farms harm wildlife and biodiversity

Well designed and well managed solar farms can enhance biodiversity rather than damage it. As mentioned above, solar infrastructure usually only occupies around 40% of a site, leaving significant space in and around the solar panels and on the boundaries for ecological improvements. These include wildflower meadows, pollinator habitats to support bees, hedgerow planting, which also provides additional screening, and wetland features. All of these measures support species diversity and the resilience of the local ecosystem.

Ecological monitoring in the UK has recorded notable positive trends, with nearly 300 plant species, 99 bird species and thousands of pollinators observed across monitored solar farms. When managed for nature, these sites show increased species richness and abundance over time.

Myth 3: Solar farms reduce rural economic resilience

In reality, solar farms create long-term economic value for local communities through land lease payments, investment in local infrastructure, construction activity, as well as ongoing job creation. Reports show that solar farms contributed £1.2 billion gross value added and supported 13,000 jobs across the UK in 2024. With continuing installations of solar farms, this figure could rise to £3.5 billion gross value added and 28.700 jobs by 2035.

Renewable energy projects can also economically support farmers through financial diversification. The 2025 Farming Sustainably report highlights that solar farms offer farmers stable, index linked revenue streams at a time when extreme weather occurrences and volatile commodity prices are eroding farm margins.

Myth 4: Public opposition to solar is growing

Contrary to some headlines, public support for solar farms continues to increase in the UK. A recent study found that 77% of the public support solar projects in their local area, which is a 4% increase within the last two years. A majority of respondents also believe that solar should be prioritised in national planning decisions to meet the UK’s Net Zero targets Interestingly, those respondents that live near solar farms report the highest levels of support, indicating that on the ground experience dispels misconceptions more effectively than remote commentary.

So, what should you remember about solar farms?

Solar farms are a critical part of delivering clean, affordable and secure energy for the UK and Ireland. The evidence consistently shows that they:

Protect food security rather than threaten it
Support farms, rather than negatively impact them
Enhance biodiversity, rather than harm it
Deliver economic value
Enjoy public support

As myths continue to circulate, it is more important than ever that the conversation is guided by evidence, community engagement, and transparent information.