The government’s decision to provide a policy for the installation of solar farms is wise and welcome. Solar energy is abundant in our country and it can be a stabilising factor in the energy supply for our demand. Diversifying our energy source will give the country a more stable price for energy. However, this needs to be controlled.

The policy will offer the tracks on which eventual applicants need to move. This will help prioritise areas of most yield with the least impact. The 2020 target of 10 per cent renewable energy needs to be met, however, in a country where land is precious we need to be careful that in the process we do not impact other sectors of importance, such as countryside and agricultural land. Going through the policy, these aspects are well catered for and hence should provide maximum benefit from solar farm installations.

A solar farm is a medium to large installation of solar panels with the aim to cultivate or harvest energy from the sun. Installations may range from a couple of 100sqm up to installations covering square kilometres. Lately, we have seen quite a few PV solar systems installed on houses’ roofs.

These normally range from eight to 12 panels. We have also seen larger installations on commercial buildings and factories ranging from a few hundreds to thousands of panels. The amount of power generated by these panels is dependent on the number of panels as well as the actual power generated by each panel itself.

Most of these systems have been installed with the aim of offsetting the energy demands by the building on to which they have been installed. It is not uncommon however, that entrepreneurs actually install a solar system to generate energy that they can then sell. This will constitute a return on their investment and hence be a source of income.

The fact that this is an investment necessitates that the installation is done in such a way that the area being developed is planned carefully to maximise yield. This entails various iterations on purposely designed software. It is one thing designing a system for a house or small commercial installation, yet designing a solar farm is a completely different ballpark. Specific training on solar farm design is paramount in this respect. When following such training it becomes apparent how easy it is to produce a design which does not maximise the yield potential of a given area.

It also becomes apparent that every single component, be it the panel itself or something insignificant such as a connector, needs to be such that no losses are incurred along the distribution line. It is not ­uncommon in installations in Malta where, even on medium-size systems, the cables are not properly sized.

It would be a welcome addition to the policy to have design and installation standards for solar farms such that it is ensured that maximisation of potential is enforced on such projects. This could take the form of a special qualification licence for installers of the solar farm, with the designer/installer needing to undergo training at a company which has a track record for the installation of a number of solar farms. This way we can ensure that we are truly capitalising on the areas we are dedicating to solar farm installations.

Ryan Xuereb is managing director of Econetique Ltd. Mobile: 7959 2767