Low carbon electricity supplier Good Energy has opened its first solar farm, the 5MW Tout Hill project in Dorset.
The project, on a 13.7 hectare site, received planning permission at the end of 2013 with construction under way by April this year.
“It’s great to see the site up and running, and making a contribution to the county’s renewable energy targets,” said Hugo House, senior project developer with Good Energy.
“In the autumn, we will sow wildflower seeds across all three fields, and later, we plan to allow sheep to graze on the site demonstrating that agriculture, renewable energy production and biodiversity can work side by side,” he added.
Good Energy will make an annual payment of £5,000 to benefit the parishes of East Stoke and Wool. The local community will be able to apply for funding from a charitable trust that will handle the funds.
An additional £10,000 was donated to the village hall project in East Stoke.
“We appreciate that local people are ‘hosting’ our developments and this is our way of saying thank you to them,” said House.
