Member Article

Anesco’s subsidy-free solar farm receives national award

Anesco’s landmark Clayhill development, which was the first solar farm in the UK to be created without government subsidy, has been named Solar PV Project of the Year as part of the 2018 National Energy Efficiency Awards.

Based in Milton Keynes, the hybrid site combines 10MW solar PV co-located with 6MW battery storage. It took 12 weeks to complete and was officially opened by Energy Minister Claire Perry MP.

Anesco’s team navigated a range of technical and commercial complexities to achieve a subsidy-free development at Clayhill, utilising strong partnerships within the supply chain and reengineering the process of design and construction. One such innovation was the use of a 1500v string inverter system – another first for the UK and a major step change for the industry.

Commenting on the award, Steve Shine, executive chairman at Anesco, said: “Winning this award is fantastic recognition for the achievements of the team at Anesco. It was a ground-breaking project and its completion last September meant we were yet again first to market, setting out a roadmap for the renewables industry as a whole.”

Steve continued: “Following the success of Clayhill we now have four similar sites planned and a heathy energy storage pipeline, which is set to exceed 380MW by 2020. Alongside this we have developed the most advanced revenue modelling tool available in the UK, which is helping to boost investment and confidence in the sector by providing the detailed future revenue figures that banks and investors really want to see.”

Now in their third year, the National Energy Efficiency Awards recognise excellence and best practice in the energy efficiency sector. Anesco was shortlisted in three categories, ranking highly for Solar Contractor of the Year and also being named runner up for ECO Funding Provider of the Year.

Anesco’s energy storage portfolio stands at 107MW of assets built and operational and is on track to exceed 380MW by 2020. The company has developed 102 solar farms to date, while its operations and maintenance service is currently monitoring more than 21,500 sites.

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