Brown field sites needed for solar potential

Developing brown-field sites is the key to developing Britain’s solar potential

The introduction of government subsidies for the production of renewable energy has created a new cash crop in Britain’s countryside - solar power.

Solar energy photovoltaic (PV) parks are all-ready commonplace across Europe and experts are expecting an influx of German, Spanish and Italian companies wanting to fill British fields with solar panels.

John Moreton, founder and Chairman of UK-based soar developer mO3 power, is convinced that ’environmental responsibly’ is the key to successfully siting PV parks.

"Foreign companies are not sensitive to protecting our countryside," he said. "Planning applications for large solar parks on prime farmland are likely to be met with stern local objections. mO3 Power is dedicated to developing brown field and remediated land."

"By focusing on brown field, mO3 are acting responsibly and in many cases assisting in delivering regional regeneration plans," said Ken Moss, CEO of mO3 Power.

In order to meet our carbon reduction commitment, 20% of Britain’s power has to be created by renewable sources by 2020 and the Government’s ’feed-in-tariffs’ offer cash guarantees for the next 25 years on every unit of electricity generated from solar energy.

This has created a solar power ’gold rush’ as companies from Europe, China and Japan inundate farmers with lucrative rental deals for siting PV parks on their land.

"The Government tariff system is designed to offer an 8pc to 10pc rate of return on projects of all sizes. It needs to at this level to be attractive to investors, whether roof or ground mounted projects. The government is aware of this and has set the tariffs accordingly," said Ken Moss.

"Using brown field sites removes some of the planning restrictions that can inhibit developments on agricultural land because the larger brown field sites have been re-claimed from any number of previous uses such as heavy industry, or are remediated land."

John Moreton and Ken Moss recently met with Greg Barker, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, to discuss their concerns over the irresponsible siting of PV parks.

mO3 Power estimates that the average barn roof could potentially generate as much as £20,000 a year if devoted to power generating photovoltaic solar panels.

Larger brown field sites that have been re-claimed from any number of previous uses could generate over a million pounds a year for landowners of all kinds but the investments are substantial, costing £14m per solar park to build.

MO3’s Chairman John Morton has 25 years experience in the use of renewables. In the 1970’s he founded Monotherm in New Zealand which manufactures insulation from newsprint and installed it in over 30,000 homes. Monotherm insulation proved so effective that it attracted Government subsidies.

As a farmer himself Mr Moreton has first-hand knowledge of harnessing renewables. He has successfully developed his own sustainable power generation capacity using biomass at his 1000 acre, arable estate in Hampshire and is currently seeking planning for his own solar park. His plan is to be power self-sufficient using renewable energy projects.