Huge solar farm for Hampshire (From Daily Echo)
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Huge solar farm for Hampshire
4:20am Friday 18th May 2012 in New Forest
By Matt Smith, Politics and business reporter
Library image of a solar farm
ONE of the UK's largest solar panel farms is taking shape behind the hedge rows of a New Forest estate famed for its Walkers crisps potatoes.
Nearly 19,000 solar panels are will be installed on 30-acres of land on the Cadland Estate at Fawley over the next month.
The five megawatt solar panel farm, the size of 18 football pitches, will harness the sun's rays to generate enough electricity to power 1,000 homes.
Energy firm Anesco has struck a deal with the estate to rent land from the Cadland estate to build and operate the solar farm over the next 25 years.
Anesco has started erecting nine kilometres of frames to support the grid of solar panels. The construction project has created around local 30 jobs.
Energy generated by the solar panels will be fed back into the national grid under the Government's Feed in Tariff scheme, which makes payments for energy produced through renewable sources.
The Cadland Estate is currently used for farming wheat, maize and some livestock. The Estate is also used for potato farming and supplies leading food manufacturers such as Walkers crisps.
Cadland Estate landowner Aldred Drummond said: “It has been a pleasure working with Anesco on this ground-breaking project. As we move forward with a combination of innovative technologies and ways of working, we will be creating a road map for sustainable farming.”
Adrian Pike, chief executive officer of Reading based Anesco, said it was a “landmark project” for his firm and though to be the largest solar farm in Hampshire.
He said: “Farming, which I know well having grown up on a farm myself, is an industry which can greatly benefit from a broad range of renewable technologies. Helping to improve the sustainability of farming, from an energy consumption point of view, is vital for the future of the industry and is something that many operators and landowners are now considering.”
He added: “This project is not only helping to reduce emissions but is generating green energy for the local area as well as creating jobs and long term revenue streams.”
The project has been backed by SSE, which will but the electricity generated.
SSE financial director Gregor Alexander said: “We're delighted to be working with Anesco to develop one of the largest solar fields in the country. SSE is the UK's largest generator of renewable energy and we fully support projects such as this.”
Comments(11)
loosehead
says...
8:42am Fri 18 May 12
hulla baloo wrote:So let's not go green let's just build Nuclear power stations instead Yeah?
Solar farms in the Uk. What a waste of time, effort and money. Due to the inconsistency of the Uk weather, I can never see this paying for itself. Just another attempt by a company to be green, and claim money and allowances from the Government ( us as tax payers).
please tell me what we do with the radioactive waste?
I'm getting Solar panels 7 they produce energy from light so even on a cloudy day they're producing energy so please tell where you get your information from?
Ellwood
says...
9:05am Fri 18 May 12
Ellwood
says...
9:06am Fri 18 May 12
Torchie1
says...
9:07am Fri 18 May 12
hulla baloo wrote:It would be interesting for you to talk to a householder with solar panels on their roof. I've only examined two installations in the UK but I changed my mind after seeing them. One of the houses showed a clear fall in energy production as the sun was blocked out daily for an hour or two by a large tree which ended up being felled.More and more road signs are powered by them to remove the costs associated with supplying power from a remote source and if you go abroad you will see that the UK has fallen way behind other countries with solar panels.
Solar farms in the Uk. What a waste of time, effort and money. Due to the inconsistency of the Uk weather, I can never see this paying for itself. Just another attempt by a company to be green, and claim money and allowances from the Government ( us as tax payers).
Huffter
says...
10:08am Fri 18 May 12
Torchie1 wrote:I have talked to a friend of mine who had solar panels installed at the beginning of last year - he is delighted with the payments he receives.
hulla baloo wrote: Solar farms in the Uk. What a waste of time, effort and money. Due to the inconsistency of the Uk weather, I can never see this paying for itself. Just another attempt by a company to be green, and claim money and allowances from the Government ( us as tax payers).It would be interesting for you to talk to a householder with solar panels on their roof. I've only examined two installations in the UK but I changed my mind after seeing them. One of the houses showed a clear fall in energy production as the sun was blocked out daily for an hour or two by a large tree which ended up being felled.More and more road signs are powered by them to remove the costs associated with supplying power from a remote source and if you go abroad you will see that the UK has fallen way behind other countries with solar panels.
southy
says...
11:40am Fri 18 May 12
Huffter wrote:There is a catch to those home free electric solar panels, if the panels do not reach the quota you are expected to make up the short fall.
Torchie1 wrote:I have talked to a friend of mine who had solar panels installed at the beginning of last year - he is delighted with the payments he receives.
hulla baloo wrote: Solar farms in the Uk. What a waste of time, effort and money. Due to the inconsistency of the Uk weather, I can never see this paying for itself. Just another attempt by a company to be green, and claim money and allowances from the Government ( us as tax payers).It would be interesting for you to talk to a householder with solar panels on their roof. I've only examined two installations in the UK but I changed my mind after seeing them. One of the houses showed a clear fall in energy production as the sun was blocked out daily for an hour or two by a large tree which ended up being felled.More and more road signs are powered by them to remove the costs associated with supplying power from a remote source and if you go abroad you will see that the UK has fallen way behind other countries with solar panels.
Also recheck the contract make sure your contract is a fix one and not one that can be altered at any time if and when government ruling change, like many will now have to pay up for maintence on the panels because the government as change the ruling.
southy
says...
11:43am Fri 18 May 12
loosehead wrote:Was thinking the same about error in information, you might be better going the solar panels ones that produce power with the change in tempture, or mix the two
hulla baloo wrote:So let's not go green let's just build Nuclear power stations instead Yeah?
Solar farms in the Uk. What a waste of time, effort and money. Due to the inconsistency of the Uk weather, I can never see this paying for itself. Just another attempt by a company to be green, and claim money and allowances from the Government ( us as tax payers).
please tell me what we do with the radioactive waste?
I'm getting Solar panels 7 they produce energy from light so even on a cloudy day they're producing energy so please tell where you get your information from?
bazzeroz
says...
2:19pm Fri 18 May 12
Itchenman
says...
3:30pm Fri 18 May 12
hulla baloo wrote:Before you make comments like this I suggest that you do some research about solar energy first!
Solar farms in the Uk. What a waste of time, effort and money. Due to the inconsistency of the Uk weather, I can never see this paying for itself. Just another attempt by a company to be green, and claim money and allowances from the Government ( us as tax payers).
Most Solar PV systems don't need sunlight just daylight to produce energy. I take it from your comment that you are one of the mindless people who don't want to go green and help the planet!
loosehead
says...
3:59pm Fri 18 May 12
southy wrote:Southy I've asked that question but as they're leasing my roof space I have nothing to pay as if you leased a property to someone & they didn't pay you you'd chuck them out.
Huffter wrote:There is a catch to those home free electric solar panels, if the panels do not reach the quota you are expected to make up the short fall.
Torchie1 wrote:I have talked to a friend of mine who had solar panels installed at the beginning of last year - he is delighted with the payments he receives.
hulla baloo wrote: Solar farms in the Uk. What a waste of time, effort and money. Due to the inconsistency of the Uk weather, I can never see this paying for itself. Just another attempt by a company to be green, and claim money and allowances from the Government ( us as tax payers).It would be interesting for you to talk to a householder with solar panels on their roof. I've only examined two installations in the UK but I changed my mind after seeing them. One of the houses showed a clear fall in energy production as the sun was blocked out daily for an hour or two by a large tree which ended up being felled.More and more road signs are powered by them to remove the costs associated with supplying power from a remote source and if you go abroad you will see that the UK has fallen way behind other countries with solar panels.
Also recheck the contract make sure your contract is a fix one and not one that can be altered at any time if and when government ruling change, like many will now have to pay up for maintence on the panels because the government as change the ruling.
So how can they claim money from you as the electric you use is payment for the lease?
hulla baloo says...
8:13am Fri 18 May 12