Solar panels on the ground

Almost any surface is suitable for installing a solar farm, we just take a different approach. For example, we build solar parks on dikes, landfill sites, but also on agricultural land. In March 2018, for example, we were one of the first in the Netherlands to build a solar farm on the Avri landfill site. Here we took into account the slope of the site and the underlying foil that was not to be affected. Driving piles into the ground was therefore not done in the 'normal' way. In addition, we always investigate the location of the solar park. This sometimes reveals that the location has archaeological value. You can't just go into the ground with a shovel! We then choose a construction that we place in its entirety on the ground, so as not to damage the subsoil. In areas that are currently used agriculturally, we always try to realize a dual function. For example, by having sheep graze under the solar panels. We always keep in mind that our solar park is reversible. In fact, a permit is issued for 25 to 30 years. After this period, we return the site to its original state.

What a solar farm generates depends on the amount and duration of the SDE++ subsidy and the power supply agreement with the energy supplier that sells the power to its customers. If you choose to rent out your land, you have no costs and only income (in the form of a monthly fee). Solar parks can be an interesting source of income. If you build your own solar farm, then the number of solar panels determines how much income you will receive. Do you want to know what the revenues are for you? Then contact us for a consultation.

A solar farm has several advantages.

• Sustainable generation of solar energy
• No nuisance
• Rest area for 25 to 30 years

The biggest advantage, of course, is the sustainable generation of solar energy. Thus we contribute to the global climate goals and the sustainability of energy in the Netherlands. But there are more benefits. A solar park causes no nuisance. There is no reflection from solar panels and noise is not audible. Only the inverters produce a slight humming noise. That is why we always place the inverters in the middle of the farm so that there is no noise pollution at the edges of the farm. Visually, we fit the solar park into its surroundings as well as possible. This can be done, for example, by placing a ground wall or forest strips along the perimeter of the park. In this way we hide the solar park from view. So the area is not only a rest area for the next 25 to 30 years, it also contributes to improving biodiversity and generates sustainable energy for many households in the Netherlands. Of course, the landscape is changing physically. Solar parks take up a lot of space. But something beautiful is happening that we cannot see with our eyes: the solar panels are working incredibly hard to generate our energy. Right now, researchers at the Rijksuniversiteit are investigating the ecological effects of a solar farm on biodiversity. Here it is being investigated whether solar parks can offer opportunities, for example to strengthen the habitat of field birds. In this study the soil, vegetation, insects, mammals and birds of 15 solar parks, including one of Novar, are being mapped.

There are different ways to use your land for a solar farm and the extent of our involvement. Roughly speaking, there are three possibilities:

• You start your own project where we support
• You lease the land to Novar
• You sell the land to Novar

Do you want to lease or sell your land? Then we will take care of the development, realization and exploitation. We call this total relief. We start with an obligation-free investigation into whether the location is suitable for a solar park. It is important that the size of the solar park is at least 10 hectares, that we can connect the future park to the existing power grid, and what the local government's requirements are for construction. The sustainability policy of your municipality plays a major role in this. The construction of a solar park requires a permit.

Renting out your land

It is possible to use your lease land for solar panels to Novar. In that case, after a successful preliminary process, we establish the building conditions at a notary. This agreement contains all the agreements that we must fulfill together during the building up period. It includes the fee per month, the exploitation period (25 to 30 years) and the delivery of the land at the end of the cooperation. We deliver the land without solar panels and as it was before the cooperation.

Selling your land

Another option is your sell land to Novar. We then don't have to make any agreements about the operating period of the solar park, but arrange the transfer of the land at the notary. The biggest advantage is that you immediately receive the full sale value of the land instead of a periodic payment.

Sell or rent land?

It's important to make the right choice for your land: rental or sale. For Novar, it makes no difference which choice you make! However, we can advise you which is the best option for you; we have a lot of experience with both options. We also advise you to talk to an external and independent advisor. We have contacts for that as well. Are you interested or do you have more questions? Then please contact with us!

The construction of a solar farm is done in four phases:

• Develop
• Finance
• Building
• Manage

Before a solar farm generates renewable energy, it is preceded by a 3 to 5 year development period. During this period, a fixed core team works on the project. As the owner, you have a fixed point of contact throughout the period. Wondering what this means for you? Request a no-obligation consultation now.

Making appointments

We start by making some agreements. Not only about the development of the solar park, but also about the fee we can offer per acre, who pays the taxes during the operating period and for how many years we enter into the cooperation.

Municipality and local residents

When we are out, we go to the municipality. We write a request in principle and submit it to the municipality. When the municipality grants cooperation in principle, we start the area process. During this phase, we also ask for input and feedback from local residents and neighbors via a walk-in evening and/or working groups. The relevant municipality official will be present.

Permit Application

Then we submit the application for a solar park permit. At this point we may already be a year down the road from our first meeting. The preliminary process is incredibly important, with everyone having to be well informed. After submitting the plan, a time of waiting follows. After all, it involves an extensive WABO procedure.

SDE subsidy applications

The next step is to apply for the SDE++ subsidy for the solar farm. This subsidy can only be applied for once a year. It is important to apply at the right time at the right rate.

Remaining solar farm funding

Once the grant is arranged, we apply for the remaining financing for the solar farm. At this stage, we compare the terms of different financiers to finally work with the most favorable provider. Once this is complete, we go to the notary to then begin construction of the solar park as soon as possible! Read more about the financing a solar farm.

Monitor, manage and solve solar farm problem

After the construction of the park, we do not disappear from view. We manage the solar park throughout its lifetime. Is something wrong with a solar panel? Then we monitor it remotely and can often solve the problem with the solar panel immediately. We also do research into the possibilities of balancing. That means we combine solar and wind energy!

A solar farm produces an enormous amount of power. We can't just plug it in. A solar park is always connected to the existing energy grid. To this end, we make arrangements at an early stage with the grid operator who manages the grid stations in the area. Capacity is the biggest issue here. Is it possible to connect the solar farm to the current (or future) energy grid? To make the physical connection to the energy grid, a cable must be installed. This cable is enormously expensive. If no grid station is available in the area, chances are that the solar farm cannot be built. The cost of the cable is too high to make the solar farm profitable. Read more about the grid integration of solar parks here.

We find it important that there is sufficient local support for a solar park. Everyone can participate and contribute ideas; this importance is endorsed in the Participation Fan. We approach the neighborhood at an early stage about the plans. At this stage, we explain to the neighborhood the importance of sustainable energy in the Netherlands and the operation of a solar farm through kitchen table discussions and walk-in evenings. We also ask the neighborhood to help us think about how the park will fit into the landscape. Together we come up with great ideas. For example, in Buitenpost we were able to realize a fruit orchard and in Coevorden we were able to physically give something back to the local community through a donation of solar panels. On the page Participation in a solar farm we go into detail about the possibilities and impossibilities for local residents.

It is possible to invest in solar farms. It is a relatively safe investment, so finding a financier is not difficult for Novar in most cases.

• We regularly offer the opportunity to benefit from the proceeds of our solar farms through bonds. Here we work together with the platform ZonnepanelenDelen. We offer the opportunity at the moment when there are almost no more risks. This is usually around the start of construction or after the realization of the solar farm.
• Another way of investing is by becoming a co-owner. It is a form that you often see in energy cooperatives. In some cases, the landowner of the solar farm has decided to become a co-owner as well.

These are opportunities we have experience with and are always negotiable. Are you interested in investing in solar parks? Then be sure to contact us or read more about sustainable investment in solar parks.

Meanwhile, we at Novar have completed dozens of solar parks in the Netherlands since 2014, and over twenty more are in development. For example, solar farm Dorhout Mees is currently the largest solar farm in the Netherlands. We also think it is enormously important to be creative with our space in the Netherlands. For example, we have realized solar park Hollandia on the old flow fields of the factory's wastewater purification plant. Curious about all our solar parks? Take a look at all our projects.

Before we build a solar farm, a lot of work has already been done.

• Development: We study how to fit the solar farm into the power grid, what the optimal arrangement is, and how the solar farm fits in with its surroundings. We also lay down the first (contract) agreements.
• Financing: We look at the best option: sell or rent the land for solar panels. In doing so, we apply for SDE subsidy for the solar project.
• Construction: After thorough preparation, construction of the solar park begins. The project's permanent core team, which was also involved in the earlier phases, remains the point of contact for you as the owner.
• Generating renewable energy: The total development of a solar farm takes about 3 to 5 years.

Wondering how much energy your land can generate? Ask for an consultation to.

The proceeds of solar panels on farmland depends on how you use your land for a solar farm and how intensive our involvement is. There are three options:

1. You start a project yourself and we provide support. You bear the costs and also enjoy all the proceeds.
2. You rent your land to Novar and receive a monthly fee.
3. You sell your land to Novar and immediately receive the full sale value.

The land for a solar park must be at least 10 acres in size. In addition, we must be able to connect the new park to the current power grid and meet local government regulations for construction. For Novar, your choice doesn't matter! We are happy to advise you about the best option, as we have experience with all options.

A solar park is a piece of land with solar panels used to generate renewable energy. At Novar, we build solar parks of at least 10 acres (100,000 m2). A 10-hectare park contains approximately 30,000 solar panels. These solar panels are often placed on a scaffold 1 meter above the ground. The height at which the panels are placed depends on the arrangements that are made. The panels supply sustainable electricity via an inverter to a transformer station. This station is located at the solar park. From here, the generated power is delivered to the national electricity grid or to your organization. The energy supplier then delivers the sustainable power to local businesses and individuals.

In a solar farm, solar panels can be arranged in a series in two ways.

• The most common arrangement is the south arrangement. The solar panels are angled and face south. This arrangement provides a high peak in output when the sun is at its strongest during the day.
• The other option is the east-west arrangement. In this, the panels are placed in the shape of a pointed roof (^). With this option, the yield is more gradual and more oriented toward the morning and evening sun.

The choice between one of these setups is primarily focused on the peak solar load. Can the local power grid handle this peak load? Then we usually go for a south setup. Location also plays a role. In Zeeland, for example, there are more hours of sunshine per year so the power is generated more gradually there. An east-west arrangement is more appropriate here. In addition, the visual aspect also plays a role. If all the solar parks in a municipality have a south-facing arrangement, the next park will probably be built with this arrangement! We always consider which configuration is optimal for each solar farm. Because we now have a lot of experience, we can make concrete calculations. In the Netherlands, a combination of both configurations on 1 solar farm is often desirable. In this way we can generate sufficient energy throughout the day, without creating peaks on the energy network.

The solar panels in a solar farm are linked together in what is called a "string. The size of one such string varies from one solar farm to another. A solar panel from Novar is made up of 72 individual solar cells. Our panels are larger than the private solar panels found on residential houses, for example It is important that all the panels work properly, because the weakest performing solar panel determines the yield of the entire string. We can monitor remotely if a solar panel is underperforming and (usually) take action on it remotely. Can't fix it remotely? Then a Novar technician will go to the solar farm!