Why did the developer want a BESS and why does it matter? A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is essentially a large on-site battery. On solar farms, it performs one crucial role: it allows energy generated during sunny, low-demand periods to be stored and then fed into the grid later — when demand is higher. Put simply: Without a BESS, a solar farm only delivers power when the sun shines . With a BESS, the same power can be delivered when it’s most needed — making it more valuable to the grid. In planning terms, this is important because the applicant must demonstrate that the public benefit of the proposal clearly outweighs its harms (NPPF Green Belt policy).
The claimed benefit is clean, secure energy supply — but without a BESS, that supply is intermittent and mismatched to peak demand . 7