22/08/26 Solar power - a panel discussion exploring the issues around solar development in the countryside.

It’s been a summer of drought, extreme heat for much of the UK, lots and lots of sunshine, and all week on Farming Today we’ve been talking about solar energy, from large scale solar developments to roof top panels on farm buildings. It's a topic that raises blood pressures: some rural communities feel that too much good growing land is being turned into an industrial landscape as solar panels march across fields; others say it's a small price to pay for clean renewable energy ; and for farmers, after another tough year, a diversification like solar power could make all the difference to the bottom line.

We explore some of the issues around solar power in more depth, with three expert guests: Dr Jonathan Scurlock a renewable energy consultant; Jackie Copley, head of policy at the Campaign to Protect Rural England or CPRE; and William Leschallas lecturer in rural land management at the Royal Agricultural University.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney