East of England
East of England farms are large, flat and mostly arable, with among the highest solar yields in Britain. Bracks Solar Farm in Cambridgeshire shows the ground-mount case. The limit is the grid, from the distribution network up.
Figures for East of England
- Average farm
- 130 hectares, against 87 for England (Defra, 2024)
- Land use
- 80% arable; cereals are 52% of farmed area
- Sugar beet
- 66,000 ha, 64% of England's total
- Yield per kWp
- About 1,083 kWh in Ipswich, 1,041 in Cambridge, 1,030 in Norwich (PVGIS)
- Network operator
- UK Power Networks (Eastern)
Defra's 2024 survey puts the average East of England farm at 130 hectares, the second largest in England, with 80% of the farmed area under arable crops. Big, flat, open fields are what ground-mounted solar needs, and the yields are strong. PVGIS models about 1,083 kWh a year per kilowatt-peak at Ipswich, which is more than Truro or Exeter.
Bracks Solar Farm near Wicken in Cambridgeshire is a useful reference. BayWa r.e. describes a 30 MWp site with 55,000 panels. An existing overhead line about 300 metres from the entrance carries the power. Grazing is allowed once the grass is established, and local farmers get first call on the licence. The site also has new hedgerows and bat, bird and owl boxes. It shows a large array and farm use can share land.
The limit is the grid. NESO expects Norfolk and Suffolk to export more power than they use. National Grid has applied to build a 180 km line from Norwich to Tilbury. Its main purpose is to carry offshore wind and other low-carbon power, not solar alone. For a landowner, connection timing is the question to settle before land is optioned. The local operator, UK Power Networks, offers flexible connections that cap what a site can export. Ask what cap would apply to yours.
Land grade matters as it does elsewhere in England. Grades 1, 2 and 3a are best and most versatile land, and policy steers large solar to poorer land. Good arable soil does not rule a site out, but the case must address it.
Land and farming
Arable crops cover 80% of the farmed area. Cereals take 52% of it, and the region grows 64% of England's sugar beet. The average holding of 130 hectares is the second largest of any English region.
Network and grid
UK Power Networks runs the local network. NESO treats Norfolk and Suffolk as a net-exporting area with one constraint boundary, EC5. National Grid is seeking consent for a 180 km line from Norwich to Tilbury.
Counties covered
Related sector pages
Sources & further reading
Frequently asked questions
Is East Anglian farmland too good to use for solar?
Because policy steers large ground-mounted solar towards poorer land, we check the actual grade of your fields rather than assuming. A good grade does not rule a site out, but the case has to address it.
Why does grid timing matter more here?
Since Norfolk and Suffolk make more power than they use, National Grid is reinforcing its network there. We ask the operators early what capacity, dates and export caps apply to your site.
Insights for East of England
Own land in East Anglia?
Send the acreage, the soil grade if you know it and the nearest substation. We will say what to settle first, since the grid is usually the limit here.