Solar Saviour: The Ins and Outs of Solar Farm Ground Maintenance
Renewable energy is on the rise across the world, being harnessed through various means from wind turbines to tidal energy and, of course, solar panels. Scotland was able to produce 97% of electricity generation from renewable energy sources alone in 2019, and very much lead the way in renewable energy compared to the rest of the UK.
With an abundance of countryside, Scotland has ample space to create solar farms to harness renewable energy further, with many of these existing already. One thing that is often overlooked when it comes to solar farms, however, is regular maintenance of the field itself. From pests to overgrown vegetation, many things can impact the efficiency of solar panels if not kept on top of.
Read on below as well tell you all you need to know about solar farm ground maintenance, along with what to look out for when choosing a trustworthy grounds maintenance company to maintain your solar farm for you.
What Maintenance is Needed?
Vegetation Clearance
Certain types of vegetation, such as gorse (which grows all over Scotland, especially in rough grassy areas), can quickly overgrow. If they do so where your solar panels are, then they can end up obstructing the panels, which can sufficiently reduce their efficiency. Gorse also provides shelter for a number of pests, which may also impact your solar panels - something we’ll go on to discuss.
As a plant that can be highly invasive since it seeds freely, it is important that gorse is removed effectively by a professional. The only effective way to remove gorse and stop it from regrowing is to use a herbicide. This can be used on new growth that appears once existing gorse has been cut down to ground level.
Weed Killing
Similar to vegetation clearance, weeds will also need to be removed from your solar farm. Weeds are resilient little buggers that will compete with the existing vegetation on your solar farm for the resources they need to thrive, often allowing them to grow tall if left unchecked.
Once again, as the weeds grow taller they can create shady areas that can reduce the amount of light reaching your solar panels and negatively impacting their production of energy. Employing experts to effectively remove any weeds will ensure that they won’t be a recurring issue, allowing your solar panels to receive maximum sunlight and operate at their peak efficiency.
Lawn Mowing
One way to reduce the chances of any weeds growing long and pests being attracted to your solar farm is regular mowing. Just as you would mow the lawn in your garden, mowing the lawn in your solar field can keep it looking neat and tidy, whilst preventing shading along the bottom edge of your solar panels.
Furthermore, longer grass makes it more difficult to access and carry out any work on your solar panels should they require it, which is yet another reason why regular mowing is useful.
Pest Control
Being located in the countryside, solar farms will naturally experience numerous animals passing through. Unfortunately, some of these can present as pests that can end up damaging the infrastructure and functionality of your solar farm.
For example, when rabbits dig their burrows, these can affect the stability of your panels and inverters, causing them to become unsafe - not to mention make the ground uneven and difficult to work on when mowing. On top of that, rabbits or rodents have the tendency to chew on things, meaning they could chew on the wires at your solar farm. This is especially dangerous, moreover it could cause costly damage.
This is why it’s a good idea to arrange a comprehensive pest control solution in order to safeguard your solar installation, preventing damage and ensuring interrupted energy production.
Site Maintenance
On top of all the aforementioned types of maintenance, general maintenance is also required, as is the case with any type of farmland. From regular site cleanup to fence repairs and general inspections, general maintenance services ensure that your solar farm remains in tip-top shape.
What to Look for in a Commercial Grounds Maintenance Company
Expertise
When you’re looking to enlist the help of a company to do work for you, then you’ll want them to be experts in what they do. When it comes to solar farms, then you’ll want to find a ground maintenance company who has specific experience and expertise with solar farm ground maintenance.
This means that they’ll offer services that specifically target the issues that may arise on a solar farm and will be able to target these in the necessary ways with the appropriate plans, equipment and methods. Here at GMCB Ltd, our team of skilled professionals understand the unique requirements of solar installations.
Comprehensive Solutions
It’s all well and good if a company offers you one or two services that may be suitable for maintaining your solar farm, but these end up being redundant if not all areas of your solar field maintenance are being covered. Instead, a holistic approach is much better to ensure that the efficiency of your solar panels isn’t hindered in any way.
Always choose a company who offers comprehensive ground maintenance solutions, from general lawn mowing to specialised pest control.
Customised Maintenance Plans
Each solar farm is unique with specific needs and will face different challenges. As such, it’s best to find a company that can offer you customised maintenance plans, in which they will take the time to thoroughly assess your site and develop a plan according to your specific requirements.
That’s what we offer here at GMCB Ltd, with our tailored approach ensuring that your solar farm receives the precise care and attention that it deserves.
Quality
It’s undeniable that with any service that you buy you will expect and want a high quality result, since you’ll want the job to be done properly, which will also ensure that you get the most out of your money. Not only that, but you want to strike the perfect balance between quality and efficiency, so that the best results are being delivered.
Of course, you can’t always take a company’s word for it when they claim to get the job done to a high quality, which is why it’s helpful to read previews from past clients (from a trustworthy site), check their accreditations and ask them for examples of previous clients they have worked with.
Reliability
Maintaining the grounds of your solar farm isn’t a one time thing - you want a regular, consistent service. This means that you’ll want a company you can rely on to do the work that you need to be done when it needs to be done, without being let down time after time to the point where your solar field ends up in a condition that’s getting out of hand.
Again, you can read reviews to see other people’s experiences with a company’s reliability, but you can also gauge how reliable they may be by communicating with them prior to hiring their services. By enquiring about what services they can offer and how they can tailor these to your specific requirements, you’ll be able to see how efficient and professional their communication and customer service is, which could also reflect the work they do.
Grounds Services in Edinburgh
If you’re based in or around Edinburgh, then you should choose GMCB Ltd for reliable solar farm ground maintenance solutions.
We recognise the importance of well-maintained solar farms in maximising energy production and promoting sustainability. As such, our professional and experienced team is committed to providing quality ground maintenance services that are tailored to your specific needs and requirements in order to keep your solar farm operating smoothly.
Along with our solar farm ground maintenance services, we also offer grounds maintenance services for commercial grounds (including sports grounds), commercial pressure washing and slope and embankment mowing.
If you would like to enquire about our services and discuss how we can arrange the right solutions to meet your needs, then don’t hesitate to
get in touch with us today. We’ve been providing our services throughout Central Scotland since 1984.
