15 • 08 • 25
UK farmers continue to endure sustained financial pressure on their businesses. In the year 2023-24, Farm Business Income (FBI) across all UK farm types declined sharply: cereal farms saw a 73% drop, general cropping fell by 24%, and dairy operations plummeted by 68% compared to the previous year. While forecasts for 2024/25 indicate some recovery, with...
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28 • 04 • 25
Members of the ILOS Team were delighted to attend the Solar Energy UK Parliamentary Reception on Tuesday 22nd April to launch Solar Habitat 2025. We heard from Ed Morello MP who opened the reception and Chris Hewitt, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK, who updated us on the progress of solar in the UK. So...
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03 • 04 • 25
Recent findings from a Solar Energy UK report examining public attitudes to utility scale project development suggest that, while overall support for solar projects is steadily increasing, there are still some areas where this support wavers. This is no small matter for developers and planners. With the UK Government’s ambition to triple solar generation by...
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07 • 02 • 25
The UK is racing towards an ambitious clean energy future, with the government targeting 47 Gigawatts of solar capacity by 2030 and 85GW by 2050. This rapid expansion forms a key part of the UK’s broader decarbonisation strategy, designed to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, enhance energy security and support the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate...
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20 • 01 • 25
The UK urgently needs to transition to renewable energy to meet its ambitious net-zero targets. Solar energy, in particular, offers a cost-effective and rapidly deployable solution to decarbonise the electricity sector and support the government’s goals for nearly 100% clean power by 2030 and Net Zero by 2050. However, as larger solar projects are slated...
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19 • 12 • 24
We are excited to share a new film commissioned by Solar UK, featuring one of our projects, Fossil Farm in Dorset. “Empowering Farmers with Solar Energy”, highlights the significant role solar energy plays in British agriculture, showcasing how solar farms are not only providing steady incomes and enhancing biodiversity but also supporting food security across...
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02 • 12 • 24
The agricultural sector in the UK has been significantly impacted by the recent changes to Inheritance Tax (IHT) rules, announced by the Chancellor in October 2024. For many farming families, passing land and assets down through generations has long been a tradition. But new rules introduced in the October 2024 budget that reduce Agricultural Property...
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28 • 10 • 24
The UK is rapidly transitioning to cleaner energy, but one major bottleneck stands in the way of scaling renewable energy projects: the congested energy grid. As demand for grid access has skyrocketed, projects from solar farms to battery storage systems are finding themselves stuck in long queues, with no guarantee of connection. According to a...
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22 • 10 • 24
As the pressures on British farms increase due to rising costs, climate change and economic uncertainties, diversifying farms can be pivotal if we are to ensure the future viability of British agriculture. Solar energy can play a key role as part of this transformation, providing a sustainable source of income for farmers during difficult times....
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15 • 10 • 24
Great news! The UK’s Nature Minister, Mary Creagh CBE MP, has confirmed our understanding that solar farms can actually provide a significant biodiversity net gain, up to 140% in some cases. This is a fantastic opportunity to diversify farm income while supporting nature conservation. We’re thrilled to see the Minister’s agreement on this important issue...
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