Cornwall and Dorset could be solar energy power houses if planning consent is given to the Parley Solar Farm in Dorset.

The main driving force behind future developments is the potentially substantial guaranteed income over the next 25 years under the government’s Feed-in Tariff scheme (FITS); similar guaranteed payments have underpinned successful large scale developments in Germany.

With Cornwall, and to a lesser extent Dorset, having the most sunshine hours in the Uk, these counties will bear the brunt of planning applications.

It is believed that most solar farms will probably average 15 hectares, or around 25,000 panels, At this scale of development proposals will generally be subject to planning permission. With the most attractive Feed-in Tariffs available to those who are connected to the National Grid before the tariffs are reviewed in 2013, there is likely to be a surge of applications over the next 18 months for which most local authorities are ill-prepared.

The proposed Parsely site will occupy 30 acres of land and will contain in excess of 30,000 photovoltaic panels generating approximately 5MW of electrical power; sufficient to meet the electricity needs of 1,100 homes.

The company behind the development, Eco Sustainable Solutions, is holding a public exhibition at its Parley offices on the afternoon of Friday November 5 and the morning of Saturday November 6. Local councillors, residents associations and other interested groups, including Friends of the Earth, have been invited.

The proposed Solar development will form part of an integrated renewable energy farm comprising solar, anaerobic digestion and biomass facilities. In total, Eco plans to produce around 12MW of electrical power.