Energy Farms and Climate Change
With the United Kingdom’s commitment at the Copenhagen Summit to decreasing the country’s dependency on fossil fuels we have seen investors looking to the rural sector to provide energy from renewable sources such as wind turbines, solar energy farms, anaerobic digester, hydro power, bio ethanol, biomass and energy from waste. The Feed in Tariffs allow farmers to invest with the security of a 25 year Government Grant which is index linked. These Feed in Tariffs through the Export Tariff allow farmers who generate renewable energy to sell power produced to the National Grid at minimum of 3 pence per kilowatt hour. Alternatively WebbPaton can assist in brokering the sale of your electricity to one of the electricity companies or to local businesses.
Farmers have two options - either find an investor or developer to carry out the project, or alternatively invest themselves. WebbPaton have experience of setting up Options and Joint Ventures with energy farm developers and investors, and are able to assist in finding funding.
Biodigestors, Wind turbines, Hydro Power and Biomass
We also have clients who have actually installed wind turbines, anaerobic digester, hydro power, solar farms, biomass and energy from waste plants. All of these farming clients would be delighted to speak to you to share their experiences. As WebbPaton are totally independent we are prepared to look at the Heads of Terms you are being offered by any Investors and Developers and suggest improvements or other parties who may offer a better deal.
Solar PV Farms and Solar Farm Roofs
Over the past year WebbPaton have advised Clients on installing over 100 acres of solar pv panels which are now harvesting electricity from the sun. During this time we have been analysing the various options for solar on farm buildings. We feel that we can now assist our farming Clients in obtaining the best choice for solar installations.
We are now able to recommend the following options to you:
1. Purchase your own 49.5KW pv panels
There are a number of solar pv firms that we can recommend who would install a 49.5 Kw solar system on your roofs or ground mounted for £75,000 to £80,000 plus VAT at 5%. You then obtain all the Feed in Tariff and electricity.
2. Rent out your farm building roof
We have found investors who will offer you the following:
a. Free electricity from the energy generated by harvesting power from the solar panels for 25 years
b. Your solicitors fees paid
c. WebbPaton’s fees paid
3. Solar Barns
We have found solar firms who will build you a new solar barn free of charge, in return for you renting them the roof. They will offer you a rent of 40% of the electricity generated by the installed solar pv panels for 25 years. WebbPaton advise that all of our Clients who have high electricity bills, or want to install solar panels, act now.
So if you want to look at solar on your farm appropriate sites need to meet the following requirements:
1. 3-phase electricity on site.
2. A standard electricity meter
3. A roof or area of ground with no shadowing
4. A roof ideally on a portal-framed building with no asbestos roofing sheeting.
5. An area of ground with measuring approximately 1/3 of an acre or 1200m2.
6. A roof facing south east, south or south west.
If you need advice please ring George Paton or Charlotte Pearson-Wood at WebbPaton. Please note there is a risk that installations will not be installed prior to the Feed in Tariff cut as both planning permission and the connection to the electricity grid are both reliant on third parties.
Climate Change and Carbon Sinks
Watch this space. Climate Change will play a large part within the CAP 2020 talks. Just Google the words "Climate Change and Agriculture" and see what is happening elsewhere in the world.
Agricultural land uses are being traded to Businesses as Carbon Sinks or to offset Carbon emissions in other parts of the world. The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) is one exchange which trades areas of woodland, conservation tillage areas and arable land which is returned back to permanant grassland. currently in Europe it is not possible to use agricultural land as a carbon sink. But it is happening in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, China and the USA. WebbPaton are following what is happening and will be at the forefront of this market when it opens up for United Kingdom and European farmers and foresters. For more details contact George Paton or Mark Webb.