As the sun shone near the Thames estuary in Kent, the UK’s largest solar farm was quietly at work. Cleve Hill's 560,000 panels on 800 acres near Faversham helped generate 29 per cent of the country's electricity at noon on a July day. Although it drew fierce local opposition and MP Helen Whately condemns it for transforming rural land into an industrial site, the benefits are clear. It produces electricity at about £63 per megawatt hour, below gas-fired stations.

Opponents argue panels should be on roofs of warehouses and offices. Rooftop solar capacity grows at about 1.5GW annually. But solar farms have advantages, including economies of scale and grid connection via high-voltage cables. Cleve Hill is sited next to a transmission station, linking it smoothly to the grid. In February, the government agreed contracts for 4.9GW of new solar farms, equivalent to about 13 Cleve Hills.

The National Energy System Operator faces challenges balancing the network amid summer volatility. The UK confronts trade-offs between energy prices, environment, and local protests. Cleve Hill feels peaceful, but the argument will not go away.