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  1. Re-power Balcombe lament their failure to convert 19 acres of farm land to a solar farm which, they claim, would have generated the equivalent electricity used by Balcombe & West Hoathly.
    How many acres would they require to provide the total energy requirements of these villages, i.e. if gas were fully replaced by electricity?
    My guess is about 100 acres but I seek advice.
    As combined population is about 4,000, how many acres of the South Downs would have to be covered with solar panels to achieve the same for Brighton & Hove with a population 70 times the larger?
    I also wonder if any research is available on the number of insects per sq.ft. killed by solar panels?. Only asking.

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  2. Don’t know Rod, but the late brilliant scientist, David Mackay, calculated that to replace average electricity usage then solar farms would have to cover 5% of the country, which might be described as “industrialisation of the landscape”.

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      • Rodney. Probably far less subsidy than that enjoyed by the fossil fuel industry and certainly with less eventual cost in far more than money to the whole world.

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  3. Thank you, Pauline. Nice to have a response to a three year old post!
    The fossil fuel industry, far from receiving subsidies, is one of the largest contributors to net Government revenues. You may not like it but it contributes hugely to the public services on which we all rely.
    I was talking quite recently to a solar enthusiast & after the usual nonsense about fossil fuels being subsidised came the clincher ; “solar farms stop land being used for housing” This is the second time I have heard this “clincher.”
    May I suggest we NEED more houses. Perhaps solar enthusiasts are simply nimbys hiding their opposition to
    building homes?
    If people want to put solar panels on their roofs, that’s fine providing they are not subsidised.
    Best wishes.

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