Managing deer on solar farms

[Pete1774]

I stopped to read a planning permission sign for a solar farm covering 246 hectares. (Ireland)
The thought occurred to me - what are the do's and don'ts of managing deer on a solar farm?
It seems that as of 2022 there were 230 km2 of solar farms in UK.
I can't find the equivalent figure for ireland, other than there are 134 solar farms in Ireland and the Farmers Journal estimates that 10,000 acres are required by 2030.
I listened to a Wicklow farmer with solar panels say on the radio that he thought his grass cover had improved owing to the shelter effect. Given that sheep farming can take place in conjunction with solar panels, I assume that deer will have access as well.
Ion

Should provide some good backstops!

 

[cookingfat]

Unfortunately they get in even with deer fencing, this roe doe was brought to my attention and I phoned the manager who looks after Solar Farm’s all over the south, they are not bothered about deer being in there and I guess they will live quite happily allow this one is a pregnant doe and must have fawns by now!
Not sure if there are any welfare issues as they don’t need water.
Not had any contact from the person who made me aware for a while so don’t know the outcome.

 

[nun_hunter]

My two boys were within touching distance of one at Centre Parcs just strutting down the road one evening and they were riding their bikes behind it.

My experience of Muntjac is that they become very tolerant of humans, you could almost say tame. I've seen them in the middle of Thetford town grazing on verges with people walking past not 15 yards away.

 

[Bo Diddley]

My two boys were within touching distance of one at Centre Parcs just strutting down the road one evening and they were riding their bikes behind it.

Yes, I have a friend that works at Centr Parcs Thetford, and she has told me they are so tame that they discourage people from feeding them into the accommodation

 

[Bones]

There's a new Solar farm being built near Chelmsford, in Essex, with probably the lowest local deer population in the county - other than a few Munjac and also a reasonable population of Fallow in the area that started due to my escapees (!!!) - however, long before the site offices, containers and plant had even finished arriving the deer fencing was the first thing being erected 10 to 15m in from the field edges.

 

[John Gryphon]

a fully mature fallow/red/Sika charging off on a death run crashing into panels

Never thought of that... Only thought of 'rub' damage.

Not sure deer would need controlling within a solar farm

The e stags would end up fighting cabling and tearing it out i`m sure.

In the words of George Michael, I can’t explain what came over me.

Very funny, that`s new to me too ha ha.

There is a joint in Chinchilla Qld that will have one million panels That will be a serious fencing contract to be done there to keep all of the unfriendliest out, whether high fence or farm fence.

No bragging rights for us though with this Chinese one. "It's a hugely impressive site with nearly seven million solar panels all working to deliver clean energy.26 Jan 2023"

I have a SIL working on building a piffling 325 hectare site in Vic atm. Its a toy compared to the above examples with 370,000 panels. Its in `roo country' He will be here Sunday with the dirt bikes and and I must ask him 'what is the go' with wild animals etc. Atm i have only seen a standard farm fence. I believe most have sheep under them in Ausville.

 

[John Gryphon]

Holy crap,i`ve been down the rabbit hole. Think about these places below and what animals (wild) are around them...wtf do they do for instance to keep camels out...or tigers?

The 15 Largest Solar Farms in the World 2022 | The Eco Experts

Global solar capacity is increasing year after year, with solar farms playing a big part. Find out what the 15 largest solar farms in the world are here.

www.theecoexperts.co.uk

 

[Cheviot]

they like playing on them in the snow

 

[sir-lamp-alot]

Got quite a few solar farms around me and some big ones at that and in all the cases I know of when the pannels go up thats it all shooting stops in and around the farm, my father in law has been in a small pheasant syndicate thats been running for decades but this is there last year as a solar farm is going up.

 

[Jono 4]

My view on solar farms on prime Agricultural land is that it shouldn’t happen. We will need that land to grow food.

Far far better to fit solar panels of roofs whether it’s residential or large commercial barns, factories etc.

It’s criminal that the vast majority of new housing is not built with panels. Every new house should be fitted with panels and power going straight in and used where it is generated. You don’t need expensive batteries, just have a large hot water tank and use that as a store for excess power. And then any surplus goes to the grid which acts as a buffer.

Putting solar and wind farms a long way away from where it is used makes no sense, especially given all the power losses in transmission.

The trouble is big energy then would lose control over pricing and shareholder profits so they will never let it happen.

 

[Heym SR20]

The trouble is big energy then would lose control over pricing and shareholder profits so they will never let it happen.

Quite.

 

[Irish Bob]

Solar will not get approval on grade 1 land.

No competent operator will allow shooting of any kind on their assets. Above all it’s a safety issue.

Deer, rabbits etc are no problem.

On shore wind in Scotland may be different particularly if only one or two units.

 

[shortshot]

My view on solar farms on prime Agricultural land is that it shouldn’t happen. We will need that land to grow food.

Far far better to fit solar panels of roofs whether it’s residential or large commercial barns, factories etc.

It’s criminal that the vast majority of new housing is not built with panels. Every new house should be fitted with panels and power going straight in and used where it is generated. You don’t need expensive batteries, just have a large hot water tank and use that as a store for excess power. And then any surplus goes to the grid which acts as a buffer.

Putting solar and wind farms a long way away from where it is used makes no sense, especially given all the power losses in transmission.

What are you on? Food comes from Tesco the farmland is for the public good nowadays and that excludes food production.

 

[Apthorpe]

Solar will not get approval on grade 1 land.

It has done and has done in the last year at Crossens. I suspect you're mistaken.
It's something of a red herring because farmland down to at least grade 3 still produces good yields, and lower grades are also needed for livestock raising, wildlife value and protected landscapes.

No competent operator will allow shooting of any kind on their assets. Above all it’s a safety issue.

Deer, rabbits etc are no problem.

On shore wind in Scotland may be different particularly if only one or two units.

 

[John Gryphon]

He will be here Sunday with the dirt bikes and and I must ask him 'what is the go' with wild animals etc.

He advised "two metre chain mesh fence with a roll over return on top"