Flood of new solar parks to cease as support programme closes

Renewables Obligation no longer applies to large, ground-mounted PV farms 

There is going to be pause of at least a year in the development of large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) schemes, says the Solar Trade Association, as neither of the two large PV schemes that won Contracts for Difference contracts will now go ahead. Also, the government’s previous Renewable Obligation (RO) support scheme for PV schemes over 5 MW in size closed at the start of last month.

However, a flood of new ground-mounted PV projects were commissioned ahead of the RO closure deadline.

Lightsource Renewable Energy says it has connected 27 new solar farm sites with a total capacity of 303 MWp (peak) recently, taking its total installed capacity to 960 MWp. Sites connected by Lightsource in March included 15 schemes each over 11 MWp in size. 

Meanwhile, Germany’s Bay Wa r.e. says it has brought four solar farms with a total generating capacity of 85 MW online at sites near Northampton, Aylesbury, Oxford and Reading in England. Canadian Solar has connected a further four projects with a total capacity of 40 MWp. 

Renewable energy investment company, Low Carbon, has commissioned five new solar farm sites in East Sussex, Dorset, Lincolnshire, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire – with a total generating capacity of 80 MWp.

The US-based sPower and Britain’s Camborne Capital together connected 28 MW of new capacity across three solar farms in Wales. And Anesco has installed a 7 MWp solar array in Powys, South Wales.

In a variation to the pattern, Primrose Solar has signed 15 year power purchase agreements with EDF Energy for existing solar farms totalling 104 MWp of capacity. Under the deal, EDF Energy will provide an inflation-linked guaranteed minimum price for power over the full term of the contract.

       Meanwhile, the government is to extend rules around permitted development to rooftop solar power schemes up to 1 MW in size, meaning that as long as certain requirements are fulfilled, there will be no need to apply for planning permission. This includes both solar PV and solar thermal installations, says the Solar Trade Association. Currently, solar installations up to 50 kW don’t need to go through planning permission.