Thursday 9 July 2020

Exeter City Council to electrify operations with new solar farm and battery storage project

Exeter City Council has announced plans to build its first solar farm and battery storage project.

The plant, which had its preparatory work finished recently, will be built on an inactive landfill site and will comprise of a 1.2MW array of 3,702 solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, two battery storage containers and an electrical switch room.

A 1MW/2MWh battery with a separate connection will provide renewable energy supply to the council’s nearby operations facility.

The local authority says the renewable supply from the project is also expected to support the future electrification of the council’s operational fleet.

Councillor Rachel Sutton, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Climate and Culture, said: “This is a really great initiative which shows that the City Council is leading by example and investing in projects, as we move towards a carbon-neutral future."

The £3.5 million scheme will receive almost £1.6 million in grant funding from the European Regional Development Fund designed to drive forward innovation, energy storage solutions and smart grid systems in the region.

The city has committed to becoming net zero by 2030.