Fyanstown Solar Farm

Solar energy farms are ground mounted installations that range in size. The solar panels are mounted onto a framing system which is installed on the ground. The solar panels use photovoltaic (PV) technology to convert daylight into electricity. 

There is some noise generated on site during the construction stage, but this is only for a short duration. While the solar panels don’t produce noise, the inverters and transformers do. Due to the separation and positioning away from local dwellings, there will be no impact from the low-level noise emissions associated with the solar farm. A noise assessment will be submitted as part of the planning application.

Solar panels produce energy from daylight rather than sunlight, so they continue to produce electricity even when the weather is overcast.

There can be some glint and glare from the panels, but we design and locate them to reduce this to a negligible amount, taking the location of properties and the local landscape into consideration. A glint and glare report will be produced as part of the planning submission for the solar farm.

The PV panels are relatively low-lying in relation to features in the landscape. Across the majority of the site, the panels will rise to a maximum height of up to 2.46 m. In the southern sections of the site, the panels will be a maximum height of 3.6 m in sections, having regard to the findings of the completed flood risk assessment.  The PV panels will be orientated to the south in order to capture maximum solar energy.

Although the panels will be occasionally visible as you move through the local area, the proposed development will be screened from most residential areas by topography and/or intervening vegetation. Enhancing the hedgerows throughout the site will also improve screening from local roads and villages.

We start with a site feasibility assessment, which has already identified this site as a suitable place for a solar farm. We then move into a consultation and surveying phase, where we gather information and opinions on the proposal. Among other things, we assess the environmental, visual, and ecological impact of the site and consult with the local community, the council, and relevant public bodies. This information finalises the design and associated reports that are submitted with a planning application. The local authority will then follow their processes to evaluate the application, which concludes with permission either being granted or refused.

Solar projects are carefully planned to ensure they do not interfere with the primary agricultural use of the land. In fact, many solar farms are designed to integrate with agricultural activities, such as sheep grazing beneath solar panels. This approach allows the land to continue contributing to food production while simultaneously generating clean energy.

After the lease, BayWa r.e. will decommission the solar farm and return the land to the farmer in its original condition. Any land classed as agricultural that hosts a solar energy farm maintains its classification throughout the course of the lease.  

Moreover, the total land required to meet Ireland’s solar energy targets is minimal—only about 0.2% of Ireland’s agricultural land. This small proportion of land use ensures that the impact on food production is negligible, while the benefits of clean, renewable energy are substantial.

Research funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) examined studies on property prices in the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany, where ground-mounted solar PV systems are more prevalent than in Ireland. The review did not find any studies concluding that proximity to ground-mounted solar farms negatively affects property prices.

During construction there will be some increase in traffic. A Construction Traffic Management Plan will be put in place, but disruption is expected to be minimal. 

A Community Liaison Officer will be available throughout the entire construction phase. They will keep you informed about delivery schedules and traffic management measures, ensuring you are always up-to-date with any developments.

On completion of the commissioning of the proposed solar farm, it will be an unmanned facility which will be remotely monitored. Operational and maintenance activities in relation to the solar farm will generate occasional vehicle trips.

Battery energy storage systems are one of the ways in which we can progress with decarbonisation of our energy system. BESS are a technology that allows for the use of renewable energy to happen more easily and flexibly. Energy generated by renewable energy sources can be stored in a BESS if the demand for electricity at that point in time is low. The energy can then be discharged back into the National Grid at times of higher demand. This also helps to secure a supply of domestically generated electricity into the local distribution network at a time of increased energy uncertainties due to dependencies on foreign supply.

An underground cable will connect all solar parcels to the proposed onsite substation location. The proposed Fyanstown Solar farm is split into a northern solar array and a southern solar array. The cable route will be installed in solar farmlands, public roads and third-party lands. The cable location has taken into consideration Meath County Council and all other relevant stakeholders’ requirements. Installation of the cable will consider all environmental protection measures forming part of the planning application for the development at Fyanstown solar farm and accompanying technical reports. 

In addition to retaining the existing hedgerows within and around the site, it is also proposed to bolster the existing perimeter with additional hedgerows and planting. This will be undertaken where required to thicken and fill gaps prior to the construction phase. Advanced nursery stock will be used to fill any noticeable gaps. 

It is intended to manage and maintain hedgerows to a height of 3-4m. This height will be achieved by a combination of allowing lower sections of existing hedgerows to mature, filling obvious gaps with advanced nursery stock, and providing an additional line of planting to selected hedgerows that require densification. 

It is proposed to incorporate additional planting as early as possible in the construction programme. On the basis that the construction phase lasts approximately 12 months, early-stage planting will benefit from at least one full growing season growth before the complete installation of the proposed solar panels. As a result, it is anticipated that planting stock will have become established and will be starting to fill out. 
 

In general, solar farms are considered to be very positice for biodiversity, as they can be incorporated into the landscape with minimal intervention, require little maintenance, and have a negligible impact on bird and animal species living on or migrating through the site. At the proposed Fyanstown Solar Farm, there will be a significant net gain in biodiversity through the creation of dedicated ecological biodiversity areas and species-rich grasslands. The proposed fencing will include mammal-friendly access, with a maximum gap of 100mm maintained at the bottom between the fencing and the ground.

The solar farm will directly contribute to a reduction in carbon emissions of 38,500 tonnes per annum, equivalent to approximately 1.54 million tonnes of CO2 over the project's 40-year lifespan.

There is no credible evidence to suggest that solar farms pose any health and safety concerns. Once installed, solar panels generate electricity without emitting harmful substances, pollutants, or greenhouse gases. Unlike fossil fuels, solar panels do not contribute to air or water pollution during operation.