One of the big concerns is the affect that the solar farms (EDF & Enso Energy) will have on the landscape.
Suffolk is a very undulating landscape. This means it has a smoothly rising and falling landscape. It is not flat, nor is it particularly hilly (unless you’re a cyclist trying to get into Flowton but that’s another story!)
This also means that you can see very long distances.
Solar Panel Height
The two solar facility proposals both mention the same height.
Enso Energy states a “maximum height of 3m”.
EDF states “a height of around 3m”.
The reason for this is because parts of the site they plan to use are known flood risk areas. (Yes we know that putting electricity and water together is not a good idea but the developers seem to gloss over this because the panels “will be above the water”. December 2019 demonstrated to all of us locally how high the flood waters can rise.)
And the comparison?
Yep, we’ve got another comparison for you. We like comparisons.
So, the average UK man is 175cm tall. The average UK woman 161cm. (source: Office for National Statistics via. BBC 13th October 2020)
Want to see what that looks like? The below image is to scale. Assuming fixed panels like the EDF proposal, those solar panels are 3m high from the ground level.
We’ve all become familiar with the distance of 2m this past year, and even that seems like a big distance.
Unless you are a stilt walking enthusiast, there is no way to sugar coat that image above.
Which view would you rather look at? The one below proposed for the EDF facility, or the solar panels?
If you didn’t realise quite how high the solar panels would be (we didn’t either) then there is a good chance your neighbours, friends, and family don’t either. Let them know.