When ground mounted solar makes sense for a business
Ground arrays suit sites where the roofs are the problem and the land is not:
- Roofs that can't take panels. Weak structures, roofs near the end of their life, or asbestos cement sheets you don't want to disturb (see solar on an asbestos roof).
- Roofs facing the wrong way or shaded. A ground array can face south at a chosen tilt, clear of trees and buildings.
- More power needed than the roofs can give. Farms with dairies, cold stores or grain drying, and sites with small roofs and large loads.
- Land that isn't earning much. A paddock, a corner of a yard or land next to the buildings.
For car parks, the better answer is often a canopy: see solar carports.
Roof or ground: the trade-offs
| Roof mounted | Ground mounted | |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | Often permitted development within limits | Almost always a planning application at business scale |
| Structure | The roof must carry the panels (MCS requires a structural assessment) | Frames and foundations designed for the ground and wind |
| Direction and tilt | Set by the roof | Chosen for the site |
| Cable run | Usually short | Trenching or ducting from the field to the board |
| Access for cleaning and repairs | Work at height | At ground level |
| Land | None used | Takes land out of other use, unless grazed |
| Security | Hard to reach | Fencing and sometimes cameras |
Planning permission for ground mounted arrays
Each nation allows a small stand-alone installation at a non-domestic site without a planning application. These are the limits, read on the official pages today:
| Panel area | Other limits | |
|---|---|---|
| England (Class K) | Up to 9 square metres; no dimension over 3 metres | One stand-alone installation only; no part higher than 4 metres (2 metres in some cases on designated land near a highway); at least 5 metres from the boundary; not in the grounds of a listed building or on a scheduled monument |
| Scotland (Class 6N) | Up to 12 square metres in total, in any arrangement | Not in the front curtilage in a conservation area; not near a listed building, within 3 km of an aerodrome, in a National Scenic Area, a historic garden or designed landscape in a National Park, or a World Heritage Site |
| Wales (GOV.WALES) | No more than 9 square metres, or 3 metres wide by 3 metres deep | Only the first installation; no higher than 4 metres; at least 5 metres from the boundary; not within 3 km of an airport or aerodrome; not in the grounds of a listed building or scheduled monument |
| Northern Ireland (Part 37, Class B) | Up to 30 square metres | No higher than 2 metres; at least 5 metres from the boundary; not in an area of special scientific interest or a site of archaeological interest; conditions in conservation areas and near listed buildings |
Those areas cover a handful of panels. Any ground array sized to run a business needs a planning application to the council, which looks at things like visual impact, glare, neighbours, access and drainage. See planning permission for commercial solar.
Have spare land next to your buildings? The survey tells you whether a ground array or the roofs make more sense.
Book a free site surveyCable runs, trenching and the grid connection
Power from the field has to reach the building's board or meter. The longer the run, the thicker and dearer the cable and the more electricity is lost on the way, and the route has to avoid or cross whatever is already buried there: water pipes, drains, other cables.
The grid connection follows the same rules as a roof system. Anything over 16A per phase (3.68 kW per phase) goes through the network operator's G99 process before it connects (NGED), and the network may limit what you can export. The survey looks at your supply and its capacity first.
Grazing and farming under the panels
Some ground arrays are built high enough, and spaced widely enough, for sheep to graze between and under the rows, so the land keeps working. If that matters to you, tell us at the start: it changes the frame height, the row spacing, the fencing and the cost. For the rest of the farm, see solar panels for farms and grants for solar on farms.
What the survey checks for a ground array
- The land. Size, slope, ground conditions, flooding, shading from trees and buildings, and access for installation.
- The structure. The frames and foundations need a structural and wind loading assessment, as for any MCS installation (MIS 3002, 3.5).
- The route back. Distance to the main board or meter, what the trench crosses, and where the inverters sit.
- Planning. Whether the site is near a listed building, in a conservation area or other designated land, and what the council is likely to ask for.
- Security. Fencing, livestock, and what your insurer will want.
Sources
legislation.gov.uk, Scottish Government, GOV.WALES, MCS and NGED pages read on 2 November 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk: GPDO 2015, Schedule 2, Part 14, Class K (stand-alone solar on non-domestic premises, England)
- Scottish Government: Planning circular 2/2024, Annex C, Class 6N ground-mounted solar (28 May 2024)
- GOV.WALES: Stand alone solar panel installations in the grounds of a non-domestic building
- legislation.gov.uk: Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015, Part 37, Class B
- MCS: MIS 3002:2025 Solar PV Installation Standard, version 2.0 (scope and structural requirements)
- National Grid Electricity Distribution: G99 generation (over 16A, 3.68 kW, per phase)
Planning rules change and councils may have removed permitted development rights on a site. Check with your council before relying on them.