Cornwall Council is on the hunt for a partner to support the development of an energy storage system intended to overcome grid constraints by making better use of a solar farm connected to a nearby airport. Owing to the region’s high levels of installed renewables, connections of new generation projects are readily turned down, as Cornwall councillor Bob Egerton, cabinet member for planning and economy, explained. “Cornwall hosts a wealth of renewable energy resources… The current installed capacity of c. 700MW could provide 38% of Cornwall’s annual electricity demand. However, a proportion, at times of low demand, is being curtailed or exported out of Cornwall. “When coupled with the fact that unconstrained connection offers for new generation are no longer available in Cornwall, electricity network constraints are beginning to impact upon commercial business cases, which is now a major barrier to strategic plans and economic growth,” he said.
Solar Portal 8th Aug 2018 read more »
One of the UK’s largest local authority-owned solar farms has come under fire from a councillor who claims it has generated a “miserable return” on taxpayers’ investment. Now in its second year, Toggam Farm, a 12.4MW solar farm at Lakenheath acquired by Forest Heath District Council in 2016 for £14.5m, has generated more than £1.3m in income. Once various costs are taken into account, £372,300 of this has been ploughed back into council services. But Victor Lukaniuk, Suffolk County Councillor for Brandon, Santon Downham and Elveden, and Forest Heath district councillor in Brandon West, an independent who was a Brandon town councillor but not a district or county council at the time of the decision, said it was a “questionable” investment. The business model approved by full council, the level of funds for public services in year two was predicted to be £330,000, but the scheme had in fact generated an additional £40,000. “Using this same model the solar farm will be creating £700,000 to support public services by year 10. This will reflect an annual return of around 5% by year 10.”
East Anglian Daily Times 8th Aug 2018 read more »
