Work to start on UK's first solar farm at Benbole Energy Farm near Bodmin
The UK's first energy farm of its kind will be built in Cornwall.
Benbole Energy Farm, between St Kew and St Mabyn near Bodmin in North Cornwall, has been granted permission by Cornwall councillors following an application to develop the 10-acre site.
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It means the farm will provide up to 800 homes with green energy.
Renewable energy consultants Silicon Valley Limited, who successfully applied for planning permission, say construction work will begin in January.
It is hoped that, by April, the site will begin generating electricity making Benbole the first of the UK's next generation of solar farms.
The company's technical director, Abe Cambridge, said: "A huge effort has gone into the design and planning of the Benbole site.
"We are setting a bench mark for others to follow and wanted to ensure we use the best technology available for the UK market and establish the highest possible development standards."
Benbole is one of a number of solar projects earmarked for Cornwall, and designed to make the Westcountry a leader in green technology. Cornwall Council last year announced plans for two large-scale solar parks, the first to be built on land near Newquay Cornwall Airport. Planning applications for both are expected to be submitted in the new year.
By that time, the Benbole project could already be operational, generating 1.8megawatts of electricity.
Project organisers say the local community will not only benefit through the creation of new jobs but also through a Silicon Vineyards community scheme which allows local residents to tap into free domestic solar panels and other green energy projects.
The site at Benbole was specially chosen because it sits away from urban and conservation areas.
The visual impact of the solar farm will be kept to a minimum because its 800 solar panels will be mounted no higher than 2.5 metres (8ft) from the ground. The entire site will be enclosed within a traditional Cornish high hedge built by Silicon Vineyard's in-house hedger.
Silicon Vineyard is planning a further 14 solar energy farms across Cornwall and the UK as part of a £45 million investment. It was formed by Truro-based renewables specialist Renewable Energy Consortium and the University of Exeter College Enterprises.
8 Comments
by MAX power, st austell
Wednesday, December 29 2010, 11:47PM
“That's an ''Ole'' from me too Gavin..”
by Gavin Lang, Porthleven
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 1:07PM
“"Entirely contrary to what Mike Hunt has written, the Government is not going to change the feed in tariff retrospectively,"
Tell that to the Spanish, Richard. The Spanish government is to reduce the feed in tariff by 45% on land based PVPs and 25% on those placed on buildings.”
by Steve, Camborne
Monday, December 27 2010, 11:37AM
“As you say Mike, that is perfectly acceptable and is what the FiT was designed for, not to allow a bunch of wide boys to make huge profits out of desecrating the country.
Beyond that there are huge issues behind how the FiT works. As an example I have just had to get an 8.5kW system installed on a commercial premises, that premises contains a large computer server room operating 24 - 7, consuming a constant 70kW per hour. I asked how it was possible to be paid for electric exported to the grid, when no electric is never actually exported - here goes - there is actually no export metering, instead total generation metering and it is assumed that 75% of all power generated is exported!”
by Mike Hunt, St Awfull
Sunday, December 26 2010, 8:14PM
“If I was going to spend 14 million of PV technology. I would subsidise the pannels and let individual homeowners put them on their roofs-sheds. They would then run them and get the benefits of lower electricity bills. This would stop the need for huge money wasting solar-parks that take up the agricultural land destroy the look of the countryside.”
by Mike Hunt, St Awfull
Sunday, December 26 2010, 8:01PM
“It will take anyone with access to the internet about 10 mins to get information about relative comparisons between the green energy technologies, These all point to solar pannels being the worst performing out of any of the technology.
Also countries like Germany have had the same feed in tarif set up to make these viable and the only people who have had any sucess have been the Chinese who make and sell the pannels. After that its just a way pf pouring money and resources down the drain. How you can say Richard that this is great news for Cornwall, gives the impression that perhaps you have a vested interest in seeing that these crass "Photo voltaic parks" come to fruition.
I myself am cornish and have lived all my life here and never in my 40 years have I seen the Cornish people sold down the river in such a scandalous way as this.
You have to be an idiot or corrupt to think that there will be any good to come out of the plastering of "MY" beautiful county with cheap chinese crap, and flouting all of the planning regulations that we have had to protect the countryside with the building of a hedge so as to hide the blot on the landscape.
Does the land now go from agricultural to industrial, and then to brownfield and then ready for development all in the space of a decade I bet.
Which one are you Richard ? Misinformed or stand to make a bit of money from this ?.”
by Steve, Camborne
Saturday, December 25 2010, 9:20AM
“Sorry Richard, I can't agree with that. These solar farms are going to be a disaster for Cornwall. every electricity user in the country is going to be facing hugely increased bills to subsidise a hopelessly inefficient method of power generation. As you say the government is not going to change the FIT - much the pity. There is one for Launceston in front of the Strategic planning commitee next week, covering 16 Hectares and containing 36,000 panels. The stated generation figure is 12.5% of installed capacity. The number of these farms planned at the moment for the county will cover over 1000 Hectares - That is a horrific waste of prime agricultural land which will result in an increase in food prices. Unfortunately Mike is being somewhat hopeful in expecting them to go bust, as being paid nearly 50p per kWh that is not likely. I don't fancy much paying 70p per Kwh for my electric - how about you?”
by Richard Freeborn, Truro
Friday, December 24 2010, 7:25PM
“This is great news for Cornwall, and for Cornish businesses that operate in the renewable and sustainable energy fields. Entirely contrary to what Mike Hunt has written, the Government is not going to change the feed in tariff retrospectively, so the revenue stream is assured. Modern solar PV panels work just fine in Cornwall!”
by Mike Hunt, St Awfull
Friday, December 24 2010, 12:28PM
“Actually this may be a good thing in that as these solar fiasco's go bust due to there 1) not being enough sun to make these viable and 2) the goverment changing the tarif feed in agreement due to the unafordability of the whole projects.
Then I know where to go to get some cheap second hand solar pannels for my next green build project.
However Cornwall is being sold down the river to these ridiculous waste of money blots on the landscape. Why isn't anyone doing anything about it.”