Tackling Climate Change
As we transition to a net-zero future, reducing the impacts of climate change both locally and globally, RES' priority is to deliver clean, green electricity at the lowest cost for consumers. New analysis on electricity generation costs published by BEIS has indicated that large-scale solar PV will be the cheapest electricity generating technology available in the next few years1.
Torridge District Council announced their own climate emergency in August 2019, whereby the council have committed to a target of ‘net zero carbon emissions from their operations by 2030. Derril Water Solar Farm would be capable of producing clean, green electricity for approximately 12,1002 homes every year. In addition the project's overall CO2 savings are anticipated to be approximately 18,6003 tonnes per annum, making a contribution to the UK's target of reaching net zero by 2050.
Benefiting the Local Community
RES seeks to be a power for good in the communities that neighbour its projects by working openly and constructively to ensure tangible local benefits.
RES is committed to ensuring that, wherever possible, local contractors and employees are used in all aspects of solar farm development. The major opportunities arise during the construction phase when suitably qualified local firms are often invited to bid for different aspects of construction. We encourage our contractors to source construction materials locally (i.e. within the county) and to use local transport and plant hire companies where possible, in addition to local services and amenities.
Torridge District Council retains 100% of all the business rates due from Renewable Energy businesses (Solar and Wind Farms) to fund vital local services for all local residents. we estimate the Derril Water Solar Farm would deliver approximately £162,000 in business rates annually.
2 The 12,100 homes figure has been calculated by taking the predicted annual electricity generation of the site (based on RES assessments Derril Water has a predicted capacity factor of 11.8%) and dividing this by the annual average electricity figures from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) showing that the annual UK average domestic household consumption is 3,578 kWh (Dec 2020).
3 Carbon reduction is calculated by multiplying the anticipated total amount of electricity generated by Derril Water per year by the number of tonnes of carbon which fossil fuels would have produced to generate the same amount of electricity using the BEIS “all fossil fuels” emissions statistic of 446 tonnes of carbon dioxide per gigawatt hour (GWh) of electricity supplied in Table 5E of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (July 2020),