Welshpool-based Organic Energy and 7 Energy of Shrewsbury have come together to complete a 225kWp solar project. The scheme, which utilised an investment of £1.2 million, saw more than 2,300 panels installed in Shropshire and Mid Wales, including a ground mounted array of 1,200 panels at Comberton Poultry Farm in Ludlow.
Andy Boroughs, Managing Director of Organic Energy, said: “Working with 7 Energy, we have been able to develop a bespoke solar PV system, with the Ludlow site the single biggest installation ever created in Shropshire and we believe the Powys array is probably the largest in Mid Wales too.
“We provided more than 2,300 Schott solar PV panels. On current readings, the system has reduced electricity usage at the sites by 65 percent and the installation has exceeded its predicted energy capture by 10 percent.”
Installer Martin Dowley said: “We're delighted with the performance of the installation, which produces around 433,472kWh a year. The average house uses between 3,000-4,800 kWh per annum so the whole system could generate enough power for between 90 and 144 homes.
“The Ludlow site, where the buildings face east-west, was not suitable for a roof installation so we have created a ground-mounted system which consists of a single framework on a concrete base.
“At Cottage Farm, there are three roof arrays, which produce 208,400 kWh a year. We recommended SCHOTT Solar PV panels from Organic Energy, which have undergone and passed rigorous testing specifically with regard to concerns over ammonia produced in poultry and livestock sheds. These are designed to last 25 years,” Ludlow concluded.