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Renewable planning › Solar › Scottish Government (S36)

Solar planning in Scottish Government (S36)

Scottish Government (S36) has decided 16 solar farms and approved 88% of them, taking a median of 16.2 months to decide. Consented capacity: 693 MW. 16 applications still awaiting a decision.

88%
Approved
14 granted · 2 refused
16.2 mo
Median decision
UK 2.3 mo
693 MW
Consented
25 MW refused
1
Appeals
0 allowed on appeal

How Scottish Government (S36) compares

Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, Scottish Government (S36) sits in the 21st percentile for approval rate (5 points below the England average) and the 1st percentile for speed.

Decisions by year

510Approved — 1 (2018)118Approved — 2 (2022)222Approved — 2 (2023)223Approved — 2 (2024)224Approved — 7 (2025)Refused — 1 (2025)825
Approved Refused

Solar decisions by the year the decision was issued (Renewable Energy Planning Database). Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.

Every recorded scheme (33)

SchemeMWStatusDecided
Crystal Rig Solar Farm
Fred Olsen Renewables · ECU00004759 · 12.9 mo to decide
27.5Awaiting Construction2025-07-30
Kintore - Solar Photovoltaic Array
Mespil Solar Energy · ECU00005245
50Application Submitted2025-07-29
Fernishaw Solar Farm & Battery Energy Storage Facility
Elgin Energy (EEB67) · ECU00004871 · 19.1 mo to decide
75Awaiting Construction2025-07-23
Stirches Renewable Energy Park - Solar Panels & Battery Energy Storage
IB Vogt UK Limited · ECU00006015
30Application Submitted2025-07-03
Lower Bodachra - Solar Panels
Novus Renewables Services Limited · ECU00004848 · 9.4 mo to decide
72Awaiting Construction2025-06-24
Springfield - Solar Farm & Battery Energy Storage
Voltalia UK Limited · ECU00004815
165Application Submitted2025-06-06
Bowshiel Farm - Solar Farm
Voltalia UK · ECU00005085
165Application Submitted2025-06-06
Lairdmannoch Energy Park
Wind2 / Octopus Energy · ECU00004900
20Application Submitted2025-05-27
Cossans Solar Farm - Solar Farm
BLC Energy · ECU00005213
49.9Application Submitted2025-05-15
Hagshaw Energy Cluster � Western Expansion
3R Energy Solutions Limited · ECU00004623
60Application Submitted2025-05-08
Knockkippen Wind, Solar & Battery Farm
Falck Renewables / REG Windpower · ECU00004523 · 34.2 mo to decide
20Awaiting Construction2025-04-30
West Springfield Solar Farm - Solar Panels & BESS
BLC Energy · ECU00006134
49.9Application Submitted2025-04-02
Tealing Solar Energy Park - Phase 2
Sirius EcoDev Limited · ECU00004882 · 16.2 mo to decide
110Awaiting Construction2025-03-25
Mains Of Keithick Farm, Keithick - Battery Storage & Solar Farm
EcoDev Group Limited · ECU00004521 · 31.7 mo to decide
20.5Awaiting Construction2025-03-13
Earraghail Renewable Energy Development
ScottishPower Renewables · ECU00003421 · 35.8 mo to decide
5Application Refused2025-02-14
Allt an Tuir Renewable Energy Park
REG Windpower Limited / ESB Energy Limited · ECU00005008
18Application Submitted2025-02-06
Rogerhill Solar and Battery Energy Storage System
Green Switch Capital Limited · P/25/0018
100Application Submitted2025-01-15
Whitelees Hydrogen Production Facility, Solar Farm & Battery Storage
Scottish Power Renewables · ECU00002198 · 44.8 mo to decide
40Awaiting Construction2025-01-09
Nettly Burn Renewable Energy Park
Grupotec Solar UK 4 Ltd · ECU00006007
80Application Submitted2024-10-22
Loch Fergus Farm - Solar Farm
Locogen · ECU00004855 · 15.7 mo to decide
40Under Construction2024-10-22
M74 West Renewable Energy Park
Renewco Power · ECU00005019
82.5Application Submitted2024-09-24
Hollandmey Renewable Energy Development
Scottishpower Renewables · ECU00003353 · 33.9 mo to decide
15Awaiting Construction2024-09-16
Stirling Battery and Solar Energy Park
EcoDev Group Limited · ECU00005014
60Application Submitted2024-05-16
Lees Hill Energy Park
Fred Olsen Renewables Limited · ECU00004571
60Application Submitted2024-04-16
Houston Solar PV Farm & Energy Storage Facility
The Old Rectory · ECU00004825
75Application Submitted2023-10-04
Benthead Farm - Solar Farm & Battery Storage
Locogen Limited · ECU00004702 · 8 mo to decide
63Awaiting Construction2023-08-11
Frodo Solar and Battery Energy Development
Green Energy International · ECU00003345 · 14 mo to decide
60.1Awaiting Construction2023-05-16
Fraserburgh Road - Kirkton Solar PV Farm & Energy Storage Facility
Elgin Energy Es Co Limited · ECU00003226 · 22.3 mo to decide
50Awaiting Construction2022-12-22
Wemyss Estate - Randolph Solar Farm & Battery Energy Storage
Elgin Energy · ECU00002222 · 14.5 mo to decide
50Awaiting Construction2022-05-24
Teviot Wind Farm
Muirhall Energy Limited · ECU00003249
34Application Submitted2022-05-20
Kilgallioch Windfarm (Extension - Solar)
Scottish Power Renewables · ECU00001996
20Abandoned2019-12-16
Sheirdrim Renewable Energy Development - Solar
ScottishPower Renewables · ECU00001957
20Appeal Refused2019-10-10
Milltown Airfield (Speyslaw)
Elgin Energy · ECU00000452 · 10 mo to decide
50Awaiting Construction2018-05-25

Does Scottish Government (S36) approve solar farms?

Yes — of the 16 solar farms Scottish Government (S36) has decided, 88% were approved (14 granted, 2 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.

How long does a solar farm application take in Scottish Government (S36)?

The median time from application to decision is 16.2 months, against a UK median of 2.3 months for solar. That is measured between the submission and decision dates recorded in REPD, so it reflects the whole determination period including any extensions.

How much solar capacity has Scottish Government (S36) consented?

693 MW has been consented across 14 approved schemes, with 25 MW refused. A further 16 applications awaits a decision.

Other technologies in Scottish Government (S36)

Battery storage in Scottish Government (S36)Onshore wind in Scottish Government (S36)

Source: Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD), Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Open Government Licence v3.0 — 2026 Q1 extract. Approval rate is over decided applications only (approved ÷ approved+refused); withdrawn and undecided schemes are excluded. A permission later expired still counts as approved because consent was granted. REPD covers schemes of roughly 150 kW and above, is published quarterly, and does not record refusal reasons — so nothing here explains why a scheme was refused. Screening context for site selection, not planning advice.

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