I have been posting on a number of proposals in Lincolnshire The following may be of interest. The gist of what I have been saying is that land need not just be solely used for agriculture or solar parks they can be used for both and what's more can contribute to the community in not so obvious ways. Please take fifteen minutes of your time to review the links within the text which can be accessed by right clicking the words "more . . ." and selecting open in a new tab. I found Guy Martin's Ch4 programme on the production of energy interesting particularly the excess energy produced by Orkney based wind farms going to waste. I suggested that converted 40' storage containers are being converted elsewhere in the world to grow fodder in mobile vertical farms. Certainly of interest for hill farmers and crofters since the fodder is less than half the price to produce as that in fields and can be grown year round. Maybe the said farmers in Wales might be interested? My spark (sorry) of an idea has been forwarded to the programme producers. The following represents some of the comments I made about the Springwell Solar Farm development between Sleaford and Lincoln.
" ..... I have commented on other proposals in the District and further afield and some of my comments have been made as part of submissions and advice to Government. I have long since been advocating a cohesive approach to the issue of farm land as solar parks. Much of what follows I have previously circulated to local authorities and local politicians and I am sure you are aware of much of what I have written.
I have read through your website and would say of the ones already on the table this is by far the most informative and inclusive proposal of all of those in Greater Lincolnshire. I am dismayed that local politicians and local activists against these proposals in particular elected representatives at Westminster as widely misinformed and see your plan as taking the bite out of the discussion where a informed decisions can be made. I am in favour of this development.
This development offers an opportunity to bring together infrastructure and technology which at first may not be obvious. There have been pilot schemes to evaluate advances in technology and their effect on climate change. The Department of Transport has pilots in place but none of these are in Greater Lincolnshire which is a disappointment. I have been lobbying for an evaluation of alternative polymers to asphalt such as recycled plastic for the construction roads and footpaths which is about the same cost to deploy as the former. In the areas around buildings, battery storage, access roads and vehicle parking it may be useful for research and evaluation to use plastic roads. Other footpaths within the project would remain natural. The roads and footpaths are easily recycled. More. . .
Plastic roads: the future of highways?
Associated with this is actual buildings themselves. In Maine in the USA there is a project that is 3d printing buildings. The material used is sawdust mixed with resins. The life of such buildings coincidentally is forty years and the materials can be easily recycled. The opportunity for research on this type of building for cheap social housing would be invaluable to the local community and nearby Lincoln. More . .
I made the observation on the above that transparent solar panels would be ideal for fenestration and that rainfall and grey water around these buildings should be farmed like a crop. More . . .
The above requires a leap of faith or someone or some organisation to stick their necks out but what could be gained from allowing local universities to research these technologies in your park offsets any risks of failure.
Our current economic situation is making it very hard for schools to make ends meet. A pioneering school to the north of this project, Washingborough Academy would benefit from commercial support. The curriculum includes how food impacts our lives and offers students the chance to explore this. Some sort of investment to support solar panels or transparent solar panels on windows at this school and others in the district would be very helpful. In the past I have donated a small amount of funds to help support the school aims and I am sure that were you to have a small or even larger scale agrivoltalic (vertical farms under solar panels) part of this development. The link shows what a farmer in the USA did once planning was refused for a solar farm. More . . .
In an exchange of emails with Dr Jason O'Rourke at Washingborough he anecdotally mentioned that an arborist was commenting on what trees could be grown in the UK. On my dug up front lawn I have a fig tree, olive tree and pomegranate bush. The Romans were able to grow all three including grapes in the Lincoln area. Although at this time the trees are only very small I am confident that they will crop within the next five years. I am also mulling over a peach tree. There may be an issue for harvesting these crops on your development but a school wide pick your own initiative may work. Fruit trees can grow under elevated solar panels as in Italy and Germany. Part of your park may be suited to this? More . . .
German Farmer Grows Fruit under Solar Power Equipment
None of this would cost the earth to implement and is recyclable and I hope your development succeeds. Much of what I have said in particular what is learned by way of research could benefit the Lincoln Western Growth Corridor and we are looking at mitigating the flood threat in this area and the threat of seawater to nearby fenland table water. There is the possibility of pumping flood water to an underground reservoir under the Lincoln Edge or Wolds to create a battery that would generate electricity on releasing the water during periods of drought.
Anything not clear do not hesitate to contact me."
As a final thought I am evaluating an internet post that claims the wellbeing of sheep thrives if they graze underneath solar panels.
Best Regards
Paul Ostafiehyk