Researchers claim 3% of England’s land could supply two-thirds of household energy

Less than 3% of England’s land mass could deliver sufficient renewable energy to supply nearly two-thirds of household energy needs while safeguarding nature and important landscapes, according to a new analysis.

Researchers at Exeter University’s Environmental Intelligence Centre and Friends of the Earth (FoE) have identified 2,198km2 of land considered most suitable for new onshore wind developments and 2,950km2 with potential for new solar sites. These figures equate to 1.7% and 2.3% of all land in England respectively.

However, because some of these sites will be suitable for both solar and wind, the overall proportion of land identified by the researchers for renewable energy is 2.9%.

The researchers say this land has the theoretical potential to generate 95,542GWh of onshore wind and 130,421GWh of solar energy per annum.

This level of generation is equivalent, the study says, to 58% of total household energy consumption, including gas for heating, and 2.5 times the electricity currently consumed by homes.

The potential generation identified by the researchers is 13 times the current output from onshore solar and wind, it says.

This estimate doesn’t take into account other potential source of renewable energy, like the UK’s “huge offshore wind potential” and rooftop solar, which means the country “easily has the potential to meet its own energy needs”, according to the analysis.

Given these other potential sources of renewable power, not all of the land identified in the report would be required to help boost the country’s clean energy output, it adds.

The study excludes proposed solar farms on higher grade agriculture land, national parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty as well as sites close to heritage buildings.

The report backs removing barriers to the rollout of onshore renewables, including urging all political parties to commit in their general election manifestoes to remove planning curbs, which prevent onshore wind schemes from being on a level playing field with other types of development.

It says the compelling evidence, which is currently required for solar farm proposals on higher-grade Best and Most Versatile agricultural land, should be relaxed.

And it backs an amendment to the National Policy Statements to include 50MW-plus onshore wind projects within the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime, like other types of renewable infrastructure projects.

The report has been published amidst mounting concern among rural Conservative MPs about the loss of high-quality farmland to solar development.

Tony Bosworth, climate campaigner at Friends of Earth, said: “The current government’s track record on boosting our energy security through renewables is woefully inadequate and has left the UK lagging far behind in the global race to a zero-carbon economy. Meanwhile, Labour is looking increasingly shaky on climate after rolling back its planned investment in green growth.

“We urgently need our political leaders to pull their heads out of the sand and produce a strong, ambitious and fair new climate plan that lifts the barriers to onshore wind and solar power and secures investment in the infrastructure needed to support the switch to renewables. These are win-win policies for creating long-term jobs, boosting our ailing economy and protecting our planet for future generations.”

Gemma Grimes, director of policy and delivery at Solar Energy UK, said that if the current 2:1 ratio of ground-mounted to roof-mounted developments continues, only a “fraction of the area marked out in the study” for solar development would be required.

The report’s publication follows a joint letter from environmental campaigners to the government warning that “unworkable” planning rules are continuing to stymie the roll out of onshore wind despite the removal last year of a rule that would enable a council to veto such applications if a single objection is submitted.

According to the letter, which was co-ordinated by the climate charity Possible, the government’s planning changes in September last year have failed to achieve the government’s stated goal of removing the de facto ban on onshore wind.

It says that only one out of 16 community energy organisations quizzed on whether the changes would be sufficient to allow development of new wind projects said they would.