Diversify Your Land Assets

Battery storage or battery energy storage systems (BESS) technology has a critical part to play as we shift away from fossil fuels and complement renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. The battery systems proposed are based on cutting edge technology, but in simple terms, the individual lithium-ion battery cells are very similar to those found in many products we use in our daily lives, such as rechargeable vacuums, rechargeable lights, rechargeable power tools and electric cars. The previous energy system relied on fossil fuels (e.g. coal and gas) and the relevant quantity of coal and gas would be burned to meet the demand needed. As we move to 100% net zero/renewables (e.g. solar and wind) energy network the energy can only be generated when there is sufficient wind speed and/or daylight. The benefits of battery storage are threefold: 1) At times when surplus electricity is being generated from sources such as wind and solar, or when demand is low, electricity charges the batteries, this allows the energy to be used at a later time by the electricity network when the demand arises, e.g peak evening demand (6pm onwards) when demand is highest. 2) The batteries enable there to be a constant supply of electricity when the wind speed is not sufficient and/or there is no daylight. 3) The batteries ensure that any excess energy generated through solar and wind that is not required immediately by the grid is captured, so nothing is wasted.

A solar farm or battery storage development is a temporary land use and assists landowners with farm diversification. It does not change the permanent land classification of the site.

There is a very low risk of a solar farm or battery energy storage system catching fire. Components of the solar farms and BESS are built using fire-resistant materials and the layout of the developments includes adequate separation to prevent the spread of a fire, if a fire was to occur. As necessary, components have fire detection systems and fire suppression systems built in (e.g sprinkler or mist system) to best practice industry standards.

Yes, planning permission is sought on a temporary basis (usually 30-40 years) and planning conditions will ensure that the site is returned to its previous condition. During the operation of the site, the operator will pay into a decommissioning fund which will cover the removal of all infrastructure and restoration of the site to its previous condition. A decommissioning plan will also be conditioned by the Planning Authority which will require their approval.

Noise can be generated by certain elements of a project to assist in the cooling of equipment within the containers/buildings associated with the proposals. The noise is considered to be negligible to low in most cases and where a noise impact is predicted, mitigations measures are proposed to ensure there will be no unacceptable adverse impact on the amenity of surrounding uses. Noise will be generated during construction but this will be temporary in nature and in accordance with British Standard 5228 Code of Practice for Noise and Vibration Control on Construction and Open Sites. All projects will be supported by a Noise Impact Assessment at the planning application stage, for the local planning authority to approve.

Yes, as a renewable developer we are committed to ensuring that sustainability is at the core of each project. As such, we seek to use manufacturers and components that comply with European Union Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, which seeks the efficient use of resources, and the retrieval of raw materials through re-use, recycling and other forms of recovery.

The core traffic impacts from the development will be during construction. These movements will be for a temporary period and set out in a Construction Traffic Management Plan supporting all planning applications. During operation, there will be minimal vehicle movements, with 1-2 vehicle (small van) movements expected per month for maintenance purposes. The predicted vehicle movements will be submitted to the Local Planning Authority for approval.