Solar installer the Green Electrician has finished work on PV systems for six farms in Shropshire. The portfolio, totalling 714kWp, took just three months to install and was completed ahead of the deadline for the feed-in tariff cuts of August 1.
The portfolio’s systems are both ground and roof-mounted and range in size from 80kWp to 194kWp. The final project to be commissioned was a 100kWp ground-mounted array near Shrewsbury, which beat the deadline by just three days.
“We put in some long days and work to ensure we finished this on time,” said sales director Stephen Davies. “We commissioned the system on Thursday 28 July, the farmer was delighted and quite relieved. Customer satisfaction means everything to us as a business and this means a high standard of work whilst achieving deadlines at the same time.”
Despite the subsidy cuts, farmers other UK farmers remain keen to explore solar's potential, according to Davies. “Farmers in the West Midlands have really embraced solar technology and the benefits that it brings as a new source of on farm revenue We have seen disappointment that the feed-in tariff has been cut, however farmers are still keen to go ahead, some with system sizes larger than 50kWp. We already have over 30 systems going through the process of planning, structural surveys and network approval.”