The University of Surrey has partnered with SSE Energy Solutions to propose the development of a 12.2MW solar facility situated on three fields on the University’s land to the west of Guildford. The solar facility will vastly increase the renewable energy capacity for the University and act as a steppingstone for the University and Guildford Borough Council to reach their net-zero carbon emission goals. This facility will deliver clean renewable energy side-by-side with nature, providing carbon reduction benefits along with new and improved habitats for local wildlife.

At just over 12 MW, the solar facility will save emissions equal to removing over 2000 cars from the road, every year it’s in operation.

This is time-limited development and at the end of the solar facility's life (35 years) all equipment will be dismantled and removed from the site.

SSE Energy Solutions provides low carbon energy infrastructure, including solar energy generation and battery storage, low carbon heat networks and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. SSE Energy Solutions is part of SSE plc which is committed to investing £12.5billion in crucial low carbon infrastructure in the next five years to support achieving a net-zero carbon society. Sustainability is one of SSE’s core values, defined as ‘we do things responsibly to add long-term value.’

We are UK listed, employing 10,000 talented and skilled people and are Real Living Wage and Fair Tax Mark accredited. We are driven by our purpose: to provide energy needed today while building a better world of energy for tomorrow.

The University of Surrey has partnered with SSE Energy Solutions to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated across its estate, whilst also powering the University of Surrey towards its ambitious 2030 net-zero carbon target. As part of its plan to fight climate change, the University is looking to significantly increase its on-site renewable energy generation from 0.1% up to 20% of total annual demand, as well as to drastically reduce the amount of fossil fuel used to heat its buildings and processes. This strategic collaboration will also provide extra support for research projects in the fields of energy and sustainability and will contribute towards new PhD and studentship opportunities.

• Assisting Guildford Borough Council in reducing greenhouse gasses, to reach its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
• Supporting the University of Surrey to meet its sustainability targets. The University of Surrey is committed to contributing to a greener and more sustainable society. Increasing the production of clean energy forms part of its ambitious ‘net zero’ plan, to the benefit of the local community and wider society.
• Accelerating the local generation of renewable energy which will help our country to move away from fossil fuels, enhancing the security of energy supply for all at a more affordable price. The UK Government has indeed announced the intention to increase the generation of solar energy by up to five times by 2035.
• Recognising its role as a responsible developer and operator, SSE aims to conduct its business in a way that contributes positively and shares value, giving back to the local communities in which it operates. In line with SSE practice, a community fund will be provided, aimed at supporting the community, enhancing local amenity and helping deliver local decarbonisation.
• The solar facility will allow the land to rest for the duration of the project. When the solar facility is removed at the end of its life, the soil in the fields will be in better condition than today.
• The solar facility will provide a suitable environment to enhance local biodiversity.

Biodiversity enhancements:

The solar facility will make a real positive difference to local biodiversity. This is important, as research has shown that 60% of British wildlife species monitored have declined since 2019 and 15% are facing extinction due to several factors such as pesticide use and habitat loss.

The solar facility will provide valuable habitats for an array of wildlife such as butterflies, beetles, bees, adders, worms and larks, amongst others. The land will be managed to actively ensure that biodiversity thrives. Chemical pesticides and fertilisers will no longer be applied to the land within the site, creating a safe sanctuary for some of Britain’s most beloved and important wildlife.

In addition to providing habitats for a range of local wildlife, our proposal will deliberately connect the site’s disparate woodland areas, providing a boost to local biodiversity. Independent evidence shows that solar facilities typically improve biodiversity within a range of 20% to over 100%.

SSE has partnered with expert ecologists and with the organisation Buglife, the only one in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates, actively working to save Britain’s rarest little animals. The aim is to develop a best-in-class biodiversity project which will be regularly monitored through the life of the solar facility.

“Well designed solar facilities can make a big positive impact on biodiversity. By making space for wildlife, creating wildflower-rich grasslands for bees and other pollinating insects – we hope that we can make a contribution to nature’s recovery, as well as providing low-carbon energy.”

Andrew Whitehouse Head of Operations at Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust

The low impact solar facility will help tackle the climate and energy crises we all face. There is now universal consensus among global climate scientists and governments that the climate is changing due to rising greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate Change Committee estimates that 75% to 90% of the UK’s electricity will need to come from solar and wind by 2050. This means the UK must install a minimum of 40GW of solar by 2030 to keep the net-zero carbon target on track. The government has recently announced the intention to increase the current solar capacity up to 70GW by 2035.

Guildford Borough Council declared a climate emergency in July 2019 and set a goal for the Borough to reach net-zero emissions by 2030. In January 2020, the University of Surrey committed to its own goal of achieving net-zero by 2030.

Surrey County Council has also set a target for solar PV installations'

“A Strategic priority (SP1) is to expand renewable energy generation capacity across the county with a focus on solar PV installations as the greatest carbon reduction potential. A target of 15% of energy from solar PV by 2032”
Surrey Climate Strategy, 2020

“Onshore wind and solar will be key building blocks of the future generation mix, along with offshore wind. We will need sustained growth in the capacity of these sectors in the next decade to ensure that we are on a pathway that allows us to meet net zero emissions in all demand scenarios.” UK Government Energy White Paper, 2020

This section will be kept updated to ensure you are able to easily access relevant maps, planning documents and any other important information.

Click Hereto view the solar project intro.pdf

Click Hereto view the Exhibition banners

Click Hereto view the invitation July 14th

Click Hereto view the Surrey University Map - Site Boundary

Click Hereto view the Surrey University Map - Designations

1. How visible will the solar facility be?

The site is already well screened by existing woodland and hedges, and the solar facility has been carefully designed to blend into this landscape with additional planting to increase the natural screening from hedgerows and trees. With landscape screening, the solar panels will not be prominent in the landscape when seen from public viewpoints. The scheme will also deliver added biodiversity benefit to the area with measures taken to diversify, increase and support the wildlife population of the area allowing for biodiversity ‘net gain (an overall increase in wildlife).

2. Why is the University not using areas on campus, such as the Stag Hill car parks for the solar facility?

The proposed solar facility could not be accommodated on our Stag Hill campus or on our car parks, as they are considerably smaller than what it is needed for our proposed solar installation capacity. There is nowhere on our campus that could accommodate a solar facility of sufficient scale to deliver the required clean power supply and the associated benefits for the University and the community. We will continue to maximise the use of the roofs of our buildings to house solar panels, in addition to shifting to low carbon heat.

3. Will the solar facility damage the biodiversity and nature at Blackwell Farm?

Quite the opposite. The project represents an opportunity to improve the biodiversity of the land with wildflower planting, nature corridors, hedgerow expansion and bug hotels all part of the plan. The site will be carefully screened so as not to detract from the natural landscape around it.

4. Is the solar facility being built on AONB (area of outstanding natural beauty)?

The solar facility is being built on University owned land at Blackwell Farm. This land is not AONB and will benefit from the biodiversity ‘net gain’ (‘the overall increase in wildlife). delivered by the scheme.

The University and SSE are fully committed to protecting the area and the solar facility has been carefully designed to blend into the landscape using natural screening from hedgerows and trees. With landscape screening, solar panels will not be prominent in the landscape when seen from public viewpoints. The scheme will also deliver added biodiversity benefit, in addition to increasing the clean energy generation within Guildford Borough

5. Is this land part of the green belt?

The solar facility sits on land which is designated in the local plan as green belt. However, we believe that there are very special circumstances that allow the development to happen. These include that there is a pressing need to tackle the climate emergency by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the scheme will provide a significant amount of renewable energy in the midst of a climate and energy crisis, there is a lack of alternative sites that are not also in the green belt, it will bring biodiversity benefits, and the scheme is time-limited and reversible.

National policy explicitly states that “the wider environmental benefits associated with increased production of energy from renewable sources’ can contribute to the very special circumstances put forward to justify development in the Green Belt.”

6. Will it be noisy?

No, it will not be noisy. There will of course be some noise during the construction process, but after that, very little. The panels themselves are silent, and the low level of noise that may be made by the inverters would not be audible at all beyond about 100 metres.

7. How long will it take to build?

We expect that it will take approximately 10 months in total. Clear information will be shared ahead of the start of the works and all the necessary safety measures will be in place. A contact will be made available, should any residents have questions or issues at any point during construction.

8. Will the solar facility change the land classification?

The solar facility will not change the land classification. The rest from intensive agriculture will have a long-term benefit for the soil.

9. Who is going to use this clean energy?

The solar facility is designed for the University to use, as part of its target to become carbon neutral by 2030. Excess energy will be exported to the national grid, to the benefit of the entire community

Should not farmland be only used for food production?

The land on which the solar facility will be sited is of a lower quality (grade 3b, in official terminology), which is of limited use for food production. The University also plans to develop a biodiversity project which would enhance the local wildlife by over 100%. The area beneath, between and around the panels will be managed to become a haven for wildlife. Chemical pesticides and fertilisers will no longer be applied to the land, allowing the soil to recover from years of intensive agriculture.

The Government’s Food Security Report states that “the biggest risk to the UK domestic production comes from climate change and other environment pressures like soil degradation, water quality and biodiversity”. Developing homegrown renewable energy in UK can help solve all these issues.

According to the Solar Energy Association, all solar farms in the UK currently account for 0.08% of total land use. In addition, a recent independent analysis from CPRE shows that only less than 3% of the current overall renewable energy capacity in England is built on high value land. This shows that loss of valuable farmland is heavily dominated by other uses.

Project progress highlighted

Spring 2022 – Pre submission consultation

Spring 2022 – Finalise proposed design

Summer 2022 – Submit planning application

November 2022 – Estimated planning decision (approximately 13 weeks after submission)

August 2023 – Construction starts if granted approval

July 2024 – Solar facility begins to generate energy