Specifications for land classification of solar container projects

What is an agricultural land classification?

Regardless of changing policy, an Agricultural Land Classification is a key assessment required prior to developing a solar or battery storage plant, classifying the land grade and determining the suitability of the development from an environmental perspective.

How are solar projects categorized?

State and local laws can categorize solar projects by size using characteristics like the capacity of the array, its land use footprint, or an electric load associated with the array, all of which can loosely define the “size” of a given solar project.

What are regulatory categories based on solar array size?

Regulatory categories based on solar array “size” allow states and localities to offer a fast-track permitting process, lower fees, or higher rates for smaller arrays and those associated with specific electric loads, and to require additional oversight of large-scale solar development.

What is a solar regulatory category?

Regulatory categories can also be used to ensure additional oversight of solar arrays likely to have adverse impacts or proposed for sensitive lands. Assists lawmakers in creating regulatory categories and definitions for both solar development and agricultural land types.

Are large scale solar PV arrays listed in the EIA Regulations 1999?

Large scale solar PV arrays are not expressly listed in Schedule 2 to the EIA Regulations 1999; such developments may or may not have a significant effect on the environment, positive or negative, depending on location. As a starting point the proposal should be assessed against the selection criteria in Schedule 3 of the EIA Regulations.

What is the fee category for a large scale solar PV installation?

There is no national guidance on the fee category for large scale ground mounted solar PV installations. However, normally such applications fall within Category 5 (erection, alteration or replacement of plant or machinery) of the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications and Deemed Applications) as amended.