Wrington Solar Farm & BESS

Providing Clean, Green Energy for North Somerset

PACE is preparing to submit a planning application to North Somerset Council for a 49.9MW Solar Farm and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on land north of Wrington, Bristol, Somerset.

The solar farm will create enough clean, renewable energy to power approximately 13,980 homes per annum. The carbon offsetting of this solar farm is approximately 10,354 tonnes of CO2 per annum, which is the equivalent of taking 3,606 cars off the road each year.

Where is the proposed Wrington Solar Farm & BESS?

Benefits of Wrington Solar Farm & BESS

  • The solar farm & BESS will assist North Somerset Council in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with national and local targets in response to the Climate Emergency.

  • The project will deliver net beneficial gains for biodiversity. Solar farm installations have a small footprint on the land they occupy, leaving considerable scope for biodiversity enhancements. Research has shown that responsibly managed solar farms can play an important role in reducing the decline in biodiversity.

  • Existing trees and hedgerows will be retained and protected and supplemented by additional native species planting to support local habitats as part of a wider ecological network.

  • The development of green projects like Wrington Solar Farm & BESS also create business opportunities and economic activity which contribute to the country’s green recovery.

  • We are committed to using local suppliers and contractors during construction and long-term operation of the project, which will benefit the local economy, and provide jobs to people in the local area.

  • The proposal does not require the stopping or diversion of any public rights of way.

  • This is a temporary development, allowing the land to rest for the period of operation up to 40 years. Decommissioning and full restoration of the site at the end of life of the development will be secured via planning condition.

  • PACE is seeking to engage with the local community to support projects in the local area.

  • The project does not require Government subsidies.

About Us

PACE is a leading independent developer of energy projects.

PACE was established in 2017 as a global developer and investor in clean energy and brings together over 85 years of experience from across the technical and financial supply chain. 

We are working with the National Grid to develop a portfolio of strategically located solar photovoltaic and battery storage installations that ensure low carbon electricity is delivered when and where it is most needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Climate Emergency, the cost of living crisis and the energy crunch are all linked by how we generate, use and supply energy. We urgently need to generate energy from new, low cost, low carbon sources and solar is the lowest cost and quickest to deploy of all energy sources. It is currently one-ninth the cost of gas and less than one third of the cost of nuclear.

    Solar power is already yielding tangible results. For instance, during the period from June to August in 2022, solar power frequently contributed up to 25% of the UK's daytime electricity (according to the National Grid ESO carbon app).

    Even in winter, solar panel technology is still effective; at one point in February 2022, solar was providing more than 20% of the UK’s electricity (According to the National Grid).

    Solar power is a core part of the Governments’ Net Zero target, and it intends to more than triple solar power capacity by 2030.

    Achieving this objective requires the deployment of larger scale solar farms as well as on the rooftops of industrial and residential buildings.

  • The solar farm is a temporary development and will not change the land classification. At the end of the projects lifecycle, it will be decommissioned and the land will return to its previous agricultural usage.

  • The UK Food Security Report (2021) found that “the biggest medium to long term risk to the UK’s domestic production comes from climate change and other environmental pressures like soil degradation, water quality and biodiversity”. Solar farms currently account for 0.08% of total land use in the UK (Solar Energy UK 2022). The Government targets for a fivefold increase in solar would result in 0.3% of the UK land area being used by solar (Carbon Brief, 2022). This is the equivalent to around half of the space used by golf courses.

  • Battery energy storage sites are not usually audible above ambient noise- levels. A full noise assessment has been conducted for the site and the project design will include a raised earth and landscaped area to the north of the proposed infrastructure to mitigate the already low levels of noise.

  • The BESS is a temporary development and will not change the land classification. When the BESS has been decommissioned, the consent will require the land to be restored to its previous purpose. This means the site remains classified as agricultural greenfield and does not become previously developed ‘brownfield’ land in policy terms.

  • Once operational the BESS facility will have a low- impact presence with only the occasional operations and maintenance visit. The only period with potential traffic impact is during the short-term temporary construction phase, which is estimated to take between 6-8 months.

  • For our solar farm projects we require a nearby grid connection, a well-screened site that is consistent with planning policy and a supportive landowner. Wrington Solar Farm & BESS offers all of these features.

  • Solar panels have no moving parts and emit no sound. Inverters and transformers can emit very low- level sound, but these are sited away from houses and cannot be heard from more than a few metres away.

  • There is no evidence that solar farms have a negative impact on wildlife. In fact, wildlife thrives within the sites when managed sensitively.

    We are committed to significant net biodiversity gain at Wrington Solar Farm & BESS through the creation of new habitats to support local wildlife. Existing hedgerows will be strengthened and new hedgerows will be planted to improve habitat connectivity across the site. We will set aside a significant proportion of the land for habitats to support mammals, birds and invertebrates.

    Further ecological enhancement measures such as bird boxes and bat boxes will be placed within the site to encourage those populations to prosper.

  • The battery enclosures are specifically engineered to guarantee secure operation throughout the project’s lifespan. Advanced safety measures, including continuous monitoring of individual battery cells, are in place to promptly address any potential concerns and manage operations for utmost safety.

    Battery energy storage systems are designed to adhere to stringent safety standards established by international regulatory bodies like the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). These comprehensive standards encompass various facets of battery storage systems, including installation, operation, and maintenance, to ensure their compliance with the highest safety protocols.

  • The Lithium-Ion batteries that will be used in the project are not reliant on scarce raw materials. There are established recycling processes for recovering the most common elements used in battery construction - cobalt, nickel, lithium and manganese - for re-use.

Public Consultation Event

 

PACE hosted a consultation event on Thursday 19th September at Redhill Village Hall, Church Road, Redhill, North Somerset, BS40 5SG (2pm - 7pm). Thank you for those who attended and provided feedback.

Project Timeline

September 2024

Pre-Submission Consultation

October 2024

Finalise Proposed Design

January 2025

Submit Planning Application

Winter 2025

Planning Decision

End of 2025

Operational

Contact Us

If you wish to contact us or require further information, please feel free to use the form (situated to the left) or by the following methods:

Feedback@alpacacommunications.com

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