UK solar plant was constructed on old tine mine site
When Lightsource Energy and Solar Century opted to develop a large solar farm on a closed tine mine site in the UK they were laying a solid footprint for responsible land use and stewardship.
As Derry Newman, Solarcentury’s CEO, stated: “To see a tin mine diversify into producing 21st century clean solar energy, provides an optimistic glimpse of where we’re now heading for our energy production. Wheal Jane’s solar farm demonstrates that solar technology can contribute to our clean energy future, and quickly.”
Solar farms of this scale are starting to have more of a featured position in the renewable energy mix of this country. Solarcentury designed and constructed this site, powering over 400 homes, in less than two months.
“Solar is not to be underestimated; it is the fastest growing energy technology in the world, simply because it is clean, reliable and a readily available alternative to fossil fuels,” added Newman.
In Germany, such news is even more impressive. According to Renewable Energy World, Saferay’s 78-MW plant on former open-pit mining lands near Senftenberg in eastern Germany includes 330,000 crystalline solar modules and 62 central inverter stations. Equally impressive, the plant was constructed in three months.
Innovative and responsible land is now part of the formula for successful renewable energy sites. “As large-scale solar plants become more common, developers will need to find ways to balance conservation and land-use issues with generating capacity,” writes TreeHugger.com.
Covering a 7.2acre plot in Cornwall the 1.4MW plant represents a significant undertaking for a country not familiar with large solar projects.
It is reasonable to expect more such news in the coming years concerning responsible land management practices.
Photo: Solar Century
Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
Former Tesla Battery Expert Leading Lyten Into New Lithium-Sulfur Battery Era — Podcast:
I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don't like paywalls, and so we've decided to ditch ours. Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It's a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps — gasp — grow. So ...
