News and insights.
Grid, planning and policy updates in plain English, for developers and landowners across the UK.
How solar farms are bought and sold in the UK
The steps in a UK solar farm sale, from first offer to completion. Asset sale or company sale, heads of terms, exclusivity and due diligence.
How solar farms and ready-to-build projects are valued
How UK solar farms and ready-to-build projects are valued, what buyers pay per MW, and what adds or knocks value off a site.
Why a pre-2030 grid date matters for solar projects
Grid reform split the queue into before-2030 and after-2030 offers. Why an early date adds value to a solar project, and what to watch for.
How much does a solar farm cost to build in the UK?
What a UK solar farm costs per MW to develop, build and run, what pushes the price up or down, and a worked example for a 20MW site.
Investing in UK solar farms: how it works
The ways to invest in UK solar farms, how they earn money, what they cost and the main risks, explained in plain English.
How long does commercial solar take to pay back?
How long commercial solar takes to pay for itself in the UK, what drives it, a worked example, and the tax and business rates points to know.
Small ground-mounted solar: do you need planning permission?
When small ground-mounted solar needs planning permission in England, what the local planning authority looks at, timescales and our fixed-price package.
Energy trading explained: how solar and battery sites earn money
How solar farms and battery storage sites in Great Britain earn money: wholesale trading, balancing services, the Capacity Market, CfDs and PPAs.
Gate 2 grid offers: where things stand in autumn 2026
Gate 2 grid connection offers are rolling out to distribution projects. The dates, the delays and what to check in your offer, in plain English.
What is a microgrid? Local power for farms, estates and business parks
A plain-English guide to microgrids in the UK: how they work, the licence rules, grid connection, real examples, and when one makes sense for your site.
How a commercial solar system is designed
How a business or farm solar system is designed: half-hourly data, roof checks, orientation, inverters, the grid connection, batteries and planning.
What is a virtual power plant (VPP)?
Virtual power plants in the UK, in plain English: how batteries, solar, EVs and heat pumps are grouped to help the grid, and how businesses can join.
Grid connections reform, explained for South West landowners
Why secured land now matters more than ever for solar farms, and what grid connections reform means if a developer has approached you about your land.
Fire safety for commercial rooftop solar: what to ask your installer
Fire safety for solar on business roofs: what RC62 recommends, the main causes of PV fires, what insurers expect and the questions to ask your installer.
Solar CCTV for farms: keep an eye on remote fields and yards
How solar-powered CCTV works on farms with no mains power, how to size it for winter, the data protection rules and what to check before you buy.
What surveys does a solar farm need for planning?
The surveys local planning authorities want with a solar farm or battery application in England: landscape, ecology, BNG, soils, heritage, glare and flood.
Getting paid for exported solar power: the Smart Export Guarantee and other options
How businesses and farms get paid for solar power sent to the grid: the Smart Export Guarantee, typical rates, metering, export limits and tax.
Transmission impact assessments: what the 5MW threshold means for South West solar
The transmission impact assessment threshold in England and Wales rose from 1MW to 5MW. What it means for smaller solar projects in the South West.
What is private wire? Power straight from a solar farm to your site
Private wire sends power from a solar farm straight to a business by cable, avoiding some grid charges. How it works, the rules and what to watch.
Solar electric gates for farms: power where there's no mains
How solar-powered electric gates work on farms, sizing for winter, the safety rules for powered gates, planning and public rights of way.
What is a solar PPA? Solar for your business with no upfront cost
How a solar power purchase agreement works for UK businesses: no upfront cost, a fixed power price, who maintains it and what to check first.
How much do solar farms pay per acre in the UK?
What solar farms pay landowners per acre in the UK, how the rent is structured, what affects it and the tax points to check before you sign.
Grid and policy, at the source.
Official documents we keep to hand. They open on the publisher's website.
- NESOConnections reform timeline (opens in a new tab)
- NESOStreamlining the connection of distributed generation (TIA threshold) (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UKClean Power 2030 Action Plan: connections reform annex (opens in a new tab)
- OfgemReform package to speed up grid connections (opens in a new tab)
- South West Net Zero HubConnections reform explained (opens in a new tab)