Sun rises on solar farm
11:46am Fri Jul 22, 2011
The UK’s biggest solar farm has opened at Hawton.
The project consists of 21,000 solar panels on 30 acres of former quarry land and will provide enough energy for 1,300 homes.
The solar farm, on land owned by local farmer and parish councillor Mr Roger Pykett, received planning permission in late May.
Since then the four project partners say they faced a race against time to complete the project following the Government’s unexpected decision to slash incentive payments for large-scale solar power by 72%, taking effect at the end of this month.
The solar farm is expected to be one of just a handful completed before the deadline.
The financial deal enabling the project to go ahead was signed on June 1, leaving just eight weeks for the scheme to be fully planned, built and connected.
Conergy, assisted by Lark Energy and its sister construction company, Larkfleet, completed the project in five weeks.
Mr Jonathan Selwyn, the managing director of Lark Energy, said: “I am delighted that Lark Energy has played a leading role in demonstrating how large scale renewable energy can be deployed quickly, and with the support of the local community, to help the UK address its carbon reduction and energy security requirements.
“That we have managed to beat the deadline imposed by the Government and complete this project in time is a testament to the courage and dedication of the partners involved, all of whom stayed focused and committed to the task in hand.”
The local community has been invited to a launch event on August 1.
It will include site visits and an opening ceremony.
The project was funded by Lightsource in conjunction with Octopus Investment.
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