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02

Stage Two: The Design

Ahren Brown, Project Development Consultant at Cogeo

Before you design anything, you need to understand the land. Not just the boundaries on a map, but the story of what’s already there: what’s in the ground, in the water, what lives there.

We often meet developers at a point where the design feels final. Months of work have gone into it – conversations, revisions, decisions. The last thing you want to hear is: ‘this needs to change’. But a design that hasn’t been tested against the realities of a site won’t hold up – and that often means beginning again.

Good design starts with evidence. At Cogeo, we assess the elements that shape your site and define the constraints early on. From there, we design with them, not against them, so that your project is right for the site and complies with policy.

How we saved one client’s project from rejection with good design

When one client came to us with what they believed to be their final solar array design, the first thing we caught was that it hadn’t been informed by site-specific realities. This project would not have obtained planning with this design. 

Scroll through the design journey below to see how evidence reshaped the project from an unviable original layout into a buildable, compliant final design.

At each stage, click the Insight, Decision and Benefit sections to understand what we identified, what we changed and how this improved the project’s planning position.

ORIGINAL DESIGN

Site visits, desk-based assessments and targeted surveys showed the original design was unfeasible, unbuildable and not at all compliant.

STEP ONE

Understanding the site’s ecology

Insight
We identified valuable native species in the vegetation alongside the site’s adjacent stream. These species belong here and policy requires that they be protected.
Decision
To ensure a positive impact on these native species, we added a 10-metre riparian buffer – a strip of vegetation along the stream – to prevent development in this area.
Benefit
The development has a positive impact on native species and satisfies policy requirements to support the planning application.

STEP TWO

What already exists on site?

A. Powerline

Insight
At our site visit, we noted an overhead electrical line across the field that wasn’t included in the original design.
Decision
The design was revised to avoid solar panels beneath the power line.
Benefit
Building beneath overhead lines creates safety, access and infrastructure issues that can restrict or block development entirely. Moving the panels clear of the line means the project is safe, compliant and actually buildable.

B. Flood Risk Area

Insight
We found that the southern part of the field was boggy, already partially flooded, and at further risk of river flooding.
Decision
The flood risk here was too high, and managing it would have meant a complete drainage strategy. Removing the panels from this area was the simpler and most cost-effective call.
Benefit
We simplified the design, lowered costs and ensured a faster build without compromising the project.

STEP THREE

Assessing the project’s noise impact

Insight
Our noise survey found that the project's operational equipment would adversely affect a nearby residential property.
Decision
We included a buffer to mitigate equipment and background noise. We also relocated the project’s electrical inverters to avoid potential noise impacts.
Benefit
Nearby residents aren't affected, and the project isn't exposed to noise objections, either during planning or once it's operational.
Note
Where trees were removed to accommodate the project, we replaced them with diverse woodland and meadow planting north of the site, leaving the site ecologically better than we found it.

THE EVIDENCE-LED

FINAL DESIGN

The final design is buildable, compliant, flexible, and grounded in what the site can actually support. This is what happens when we understand the land before we commit to a plan. We address constraints early and are empowered to make the right decisions – decisions that drive the design forward with clarity.

Top 4 tips for front-loading good design

Every project is different, but the principles that protect them are the same.

Here’s what we would tell any developer at the start of their project.

1

Come to us at the concept stage
Come to us early and time isn’t wasted. We learn the constraints of your site before designing, so we can adapt the project to its realities.

2

Don’t limit the land
Don’t assume everything you need for the project will fit neatly inside the main site boundary. Infrastructure and mitigation – such as a substation or a planting strategy – often require additional land.

3

Consider your systems
Account for off-site connections that your project relies on, such as grid connections, cabling routes and road access. These often extend miles beyond your site.

4

Invest early
Invest in the right assessments early so that you truly understand your site. This is how you avoid surprises and costly redesigns later on.

Seeking certainty for your site

This stage is where we remove uncertainty. We carry out comprehensive assessments, such as topographic surveys and drone surveys, so we know your site inside out and can design accordingly.

“We don’t wait for unknowns,” says Ahren Brown, Project Development Consultant. “The more information we have up front, the more solid your foundation and the more certainty we can provide the decision-makers in your application.”

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