The UK’s second subsidy-free solar farm, and the first by a local authority using battery storage, has been completed by West Sussex County Council.
Westhampnett solar farm near Chichester is the council’s second solar farm, built on a closed landfill next to the A27 on land owned by the council. It has combines 7.4MW PV and a 4.4MW/4.06MWh battery storage unit from Tesvolt. Generation from the solar farm will be repurchased from Your Energy Sussex, a council-backed energy supplier set up in 2014. The battery has a Capacity Market contract and will also be used to provide Triad avoidance. It has a demand side response agreement with Npower, which will use the battery to access the grid services market, reports Solar Power Portal
Tangmere was the county council’s first site, a 5MW project completed in 2015.
Louise Goldsmith, county council Leader, said: “As one of the first solar farms to be built with battery storage and free from government subsidy, we are blazing a trail among local authorities and demonstrating that councils have a role to play as local leaders on energy.”