Plans are afoot which could transform part of the Vale of Strathmore into a “sun valley”.
A solar farm of about 13 football pitches in size is up for scoping opinion by Angus Council and could result in up to 35,000 panels installed in an area most would not associate with year-round sun.
Renewable energy consultant Temporis Wind Ltd of Glasgow has submitted an application for a 10MW “photovoltaic (PV) park” of approximately 50 acres outside Forfar.
The land north-west of West Ingliston, on the Dean Water by the A94 Coupar Angus road, is being considered for the development.
No large-scale solar PV sites have been constructed in Scotland, though permission had been granted to two one in Lothian and another in Grampian.
The Strathmore project would contain rows of solar PV panels and a small building to house the electrical equipment in an area bordering the Dean from its confluence with the Kerbet Water.
Temporis said the project is at a “very early feasibility stage” and the screening request is an initial approach to the council to determine if an environmental impact assessment is required.
The outcome of the screening will help the consultant agree with the council the scope of the assessments required for a planning application.
Such an application would be submitted in the future if the results of further feasibility studies prove positive.
A spokesman for the company said: “It was actually a surprise to me, but considering the length of the day is greater than that in England, it is feasible.
“There may be less sun without clouds, but it can still get through just as well. Nowadays these panels are much more efficient and get a lot more out of what sun is there.”
The plans follow the unveiling of proposals for Perthshire’s first major solar farm, which would harness the power of the sun to provide power for 5,500 homes.
A 100-acre greenfield site in the Carse of Gowrie has been identified as an ideal spot for the installation of 70,000 free-standing, static solar PV panels, which would generate power for the national grid.