Oakapple submits plans for £9m solar farm

OAKAPPLE Renewable Energy has submitted plans to create a 33 acre solar farm in the region which will provide enough electricity to power 2100 homes a year.

The proposed £9m Haigh Hall Solar Farm in Leeds, the largest in Yorkshire, would be installed on low grade agricultural land in Tingley on the outskirts of the city.

It will comprise 32,000 solar panels mounted on steel frames and will take around 12 weeks to install, creating 80 temporary construction jobs as well as four permanent positions.

If approved it will generate 7.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year and contribute around 10 per cent of Leeds City Council’s 2021 target of 75 megawatts renewable energy provision.

It will also reduce carbon emissions by 3,800 tonnes, the equivalent of 1400 cars.

Leeds-based Oakapple would operate the solar farm for the next 25 years, generating its revenue from Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs), after which time the land will be returned to its current state.

The site has been chosen for the solar farm as the panels can be installed within a natural dip in the land thereby causing minimal visual impact on the surrounding landscape.

The area underneath the panels can still be used for grazing, said Oakapple, maintaining the agricultural use.

Managing director of Oakapple Renewable Energy, Philip Taylor, says solar power not only provides green energy, it also has little impact on the local area.

“Unlike wind turbines, which can be seen for miles, solar panels can be hidden from view, given the correct landscape,” he said. “Furthermore there is very little disruption during installation and, once operational, there is negligible noise.

“In addition, when compared to other forms of energy generation, solar panels do not generate pollution or waste.”

Haigh Hall Solar Farm is the first of six major applications being submitted by the company.

The other sites are in Devon, Cornwall, Wales and the East Midlands. If all the applications are successful it will enable the company to generate approximately 100 megawatts a year, which can provide power to 28,000 homes.