Scheme can help lighten the energy (From Western Telegraph)

Scheme can help lighten the energy

9:00am Tuesday 20th September 2011 in Farming News

Farmers in south Wales are being encouraged to generate income from their agricultural buildings by signing up to a free solar energy scheme.

Due South Energy is looking for suitable sites for its ‘RentaRoof’ scheme, where solar photo-voltaic panels are installed on shed roofs or suitable land, under a 25-year lease.

As Due South Energy will receive money through government ‘feed in tariffs’, it will pay the installation and maintenance costs of the panels, while the landowner receives free use of the electricity generated and can sell any unused electricity back to the National Grid.

Chartered Surveyor Byron Evans is on the lookout for suitable sites across south Wales on behalf of Due South Energy.

He said: “Due South Energy will install and maintain a solar PV system of up to 50 Kilowatt hours capacity for business users of electricity. The owner gains free use of the electricity generated for 25 years, without the need for significant capital investment.

“Due South Energy receives the Feed In Tariffs and this money is used to finance the scheme. It means that Due South Energy pays the installation, site survey, planning and reasonable legal costs.”

A 50kilowatt system will produce about 45Kilowatt hours of electricity each year, which equates to a value of about £6,000 at current prices.

Mr Evans added: “With energy costs rising all the time the RentaRoof scheme gives people an opportunity to reduce their business running costs significantly.”

Due South Energy can also supply solar panels to farmers who are willing to pay the entire costs of setting up and maintaining the scheme themselves, in order to receive money from the feed in tariffs.

For more information on the ‘RentaRoof’ scheme go to www.duesouthenergy.co.uk.

Anyone interested in the scheme can contact Mr Evans on 07850 861343 (usually accessible seven days a week between 9am and 9pm) or email byronevans@ carmarthen21.freeserve.co.uk.