Member Article

Anesco supports award-winning community energy scheme

A community energy initiative that has seen cleantech specialist Anesco developing a 4.6MW solar farm on behalf of Bristol Energy Cooperate (BEC), as part of a broader portfolio of solar schemes, has been recognised with a national award.

Based in Puriton near Bridgwater, the solar farm has been designed, managed and constructed by the experienced team at Anesco and covers an area of almost 30 acres. Over 17,500 solar panels have been installed, which will save 2092 tonnes of carbon per year, while generated enough renewable energy to power over 1,200 homes annually.

The site forms part of BEC’s latest community fund-raise, which also includes roof top solar installations and a second solar farm, managed by other partners. The successful £10M project aims to not only reduce carbon emissions but also leave a legacy of social benefits, with all profits invested back into the community for the 25year lifespan of the project.

The scheme has since been named Community Benefit Project of the Year, as part of the Solar Power Portal & Clean Energy Awards 2016.

Thanks to the specialist knowledge and technical expertise of the team at Anesco, the Puriton site is one of just a handful of solar installations that benefited under the now defunct Government 5+5 FiT community scheme.

It will be monitored and maintained by Anesco for the next 25 years, through the company’s O&M service, Anesco Meter. What this means for investors is that their revenue stream will be protected and any associated costs are locked in for the long term.

Lee Adams, director of sales at Anesco, commented: “Our congratulations go to BEC and their partner Mongoose Energy on the recent award and for the ongoing success of their community energy initiative.

“We’re delighted to have worked with them to provide a complete turnkey service, from design and construction of the Puriton solar farm, to managing its connection to the grid and ensuring it qualified under the Government’s community feed-in-tariff scheme.”

He added: “The solar farm offers a fantastic long term investment opportunity and thanks to the protection offered by Anesco Meter, there will be are no surprises for investors further down the line. On an ecological level, the site has also been designed to support and promote a diverse range of wildlife, not only creating habitats in accordance with planning rules, but going far beyond that to maximise the positive impact for local wildlife.”

Reading-based Anesco is recognised as one of the top 100 cleantech firms in the world. The company works with businesses, local authorities, housing associations and homeowners to reduce their carbon emissions and has helped to raise over 330,000 people out of fuel poverty.

Solar schemes installed and managed by Anesco are currently generating over 600MWh of electricity, which is enough to power more than 154,000 homes per year. Anesco has also spearheaded the use of commercial battery storage units in the UK, with 20MW currently in operation, construction or delivery. As the largest commercial developer of such schemes in the country, the company has a further 50MW due for installation by the end of this year, with an additional 100MW planned for both 2017 and 2018.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Anesco Limited .