Avoiding shocks! What Searches Do You Really Need for a Solar Farm Transaction?

We all love the sun, it’s warm, bright and adds a bit of colour to the world after the dull grey clouds of winter, but when you’re dealing with something like a solar farm, the conveyancing process can feel a bit more complex than a typical house purchase. A big part of that comes down to making sure you’re getting the right searches, not just the standard ones you might use for a residential property, but searches that actually reflect how the land will be used.

One of the key reports is a CON29DW commercial drainage and water search.  

For a solar farm, this is important as beyond simply confirming whether an existing property has a water supply, it looks at whether there are public sewers or water mains running through the land (which could restrict where you place panels or infrastructure), who is responsible for maintaining drainage, and whether there’s any risk of sewer flooding. It will also flag things like build-over restrictions, important if you’re planning substations or other fixed equipment. On large or rural sites, this kind of detail is essential because hidden infrastructure can significantly affect layout and cost, and nobody likes to see those particular numbers going up!

A CON29DW commercial is broader and tailored to non-residential land, so in most cases, it replaces the need for a residential search entirely when you’re dealing with a solar farm project.

Because of this however, a residential drainage and water search would not be suitable, as these reports are designed for individual homes.  

(it is not recommended to try and live on a solar farm, but I bet you could if you really wanted to).  

Another important piece of the puzzle is the local authority search, and for commercial land, this is still very much needed. Solar farms are heavily influenced by planning considerations, so this search helps uncover things like existing planning permissions, any enforcement notices, and whether there are future road or infrastructure schemes that could affect the site. It also confirms whether access roads are publicly maintained, something that can be surprisingly important when you need reliable long-term access for maintenance and installation, you wouldn’t want to be the enemy of every commuter for miles around if you can help it!

Environmental searches are particularly important for solar farms because they’re so dependent on the condition of the land. A good commercial environmental search will highlight risks such as contamination from previous uses, flood risk (which can directly impact viability), and ground stability issues. In many cases, it’s worth going a step further with a detailed flood report or checks for nearby energy infrastructure, especially if grid connection or surrounding developments could influence the project.

If the land is rural, which most solar farm sites are, you might also come across something called an agricultural search. This is a bit more specialised and focuses on issues specific to farmland. For example, it can reveal whether the land is subject to agricultural subsidies, environmental stewardship schemes, or public rights of way. These might not stop a solar development altogether, but they can create additional obligations or constraints that need to be understood early on.

So, do you always need an agricultural search for a solar farm? Not necessarily, but it’s often a sensible extra layer of due diligence. If the land has been used for farming, there’s a good chance there are historic agreements, access rights, or classification issues that won’t show up in standard commercial searches. Think of it as a way to fill in the gaps and avoid surprises later.

Overall, the key takeaway is that solar farm projects sit somewhere between commercial development and agricultural land use. Because of that, relying on basic environmental or residential  drainage and water searches can leave important risks uncovered. Getting the right combination of commercial, environmental, and (where appropriate) agricultural searches helps ensure you fully understand the land you’re working with, and can plan your project with confidence.