Dear Editor,

To suggest that Blaenporth could become the solar capital of Ceredigion is bordering on madness (Tivyside article, 22 Oct. 2013) – Ceredigion is not the middle of the Sahara!

Whilst I see no objection to small scale solar power installations such as appropriately situated PV panels on the roof of a private dwelling, I cannot see any justification for large scale industrial solar farms, especially at the expense of good farm land and beautiful Welsh countryside. Indeed, if there has to be politically driven wind farms, then they all should be installed on brownfield sites and not green. To be sure, it should be recognised that solar farms do not make good sense at our latitudes, also they obviously do not produce any power during the hours of darkness. Additionally common sense demands to know why there is a need for solar farms in Wales when we are already exporting power to England – the new CCGT power station in Pembrokeshire alone can easily satisfy the demand for electrical energy in Wales. The only answer to my question is the Government subsidy, otherwise nobody would be investing in solar power, but those considering to do so on a large scale would be wise to consider their neighbours, the loss of good farm land, beautiful Welsh countryside, and the real possibility of future meaningful reduction in Government subsidies – recent greedy and immoral increases in energy bills should be sufficient to concentrate minds on the issue, as you dear reader pay for the subsidies. Coupled with ineffective wind generators (where you also pay for the subsidy) popping up all over the irreplaceable beautiful Welsh countryside I fear for the future of Welsh tourism and the impact on our local economies – surely enough is enough, and I sincerely hope that Ceredigion planners will exercise their common sense in this matter?

DAVE HASKELL

Cardigan