Renewable energy generation will become a standard source of income for many farmers in the not-too-distant future, including those in Yorkshire, SAC renewables expert Jim Campbell has predicted.
Speaking before the SAC Renewable Energy Event taking place in Settle on 26 May, Jim said that as an increasing number of farmers and other rural businesses across the country are now ’dipping their toes’ into the world of renewables, Yorkshire is very much in on the action.
Jim, who has already hosted four ’very well-attended’ renewable energy events in Yorkshire since the beginning of this year, said: "A growing number of farmers in Yorkshire, as elsewhere, are interested in renewable energy, primarily as another income stream to make their businesses more viable. Their interest has been sparked by the attractive Feed in Tariff schemes being offered by the Government. Another motivation is the fact that, as supermarkets and other buyers become more aware of their own carbon footprints, they want products from suppliers with positive environmental credentials when it comes to energy efficiency.
"From my observations, renewable energy is going to become an expected income source amongst farmers in Yorkshire and it will not be too long before they will be ’farming’ energy just as they harvest their crops or produce their livestock."
Jim will host the forthcoming event in Settle, which has been organised with the involvement of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNA). He will discuss the real possibilities for farmers and provide an unbiased view from over five years of experience working in the sector. He will cover up-to-date information on revenue and payback calculations and talk about each of the four technologies covered by the Feed in Tariffs – wind energy, micro-hydro power, solar photovoltaic panels and anaerobic digestion. A representative of the YDNA will provide a brief overview of the eagerly-awaited publication ’Guide To Development For Sustainable Energy Production in the Yorkshire Dales National Park’. This will cover information about planning constraints in the park.
Jim said: "I expect there to be a similar level of interest in this event as we have seen at the previous meetings. Wind turbines have been the most popular topic although other technologies also received a lot of interest. One major concern to farmers thinking of getting into renewable energy is the current review of Feed in Tariffs and how this may impact on any longer term project they may wish to undertake. We also hope to hear from farmers who have already started their own renewable energy projects and who can speak of their experiences."
