This page lets you explore the total capacity for solar in the UK, and how that capacity is
affected by policy decisions. The capacity includes existing and future solar.
To find the baseline amount of solar, the areas where solar could never be built are
removed. This excludes land based on low solar load factor, proximity to airports, roads, railways,
and overhead power lines, and excludes all existing forest area. Public green spaces are also removed.
You can choose which other constraints to apply, with varying levels of restriction on biodiversity,
world heritage, farmland protection, landscape protections, and distance to listed buildings and
other buildings in the UK.
Note: This mapping assumes a density of 50 MW/km² for solar deployment.
Farmland is included by default as a toggleable constraint, since solar on agricultural land
is a significant policy consideration. A "% of available land used" slider lets you explore
partial deployment scenarios.
This page aims to illustrate the tradeoffs between the desire for solar energy and the
competing uses of land across the UK.