Council becomes first in UK to produce all its own electricity

WARRINGTON Borough Council has today become the first local authority in the UK to produce all its own electricity with the completion and hand-over of an advanced hybrid solar+ battery farm.

The facility, built by GRIDSERVE, is on an 88-acre site at Cirencester – equivalent to more than 50 football pitches and is the council’s third solar farm.

It is the first DC-coupled solar farm of this size in the UK and the most advanced to be completed in the country since GRIDSERVE’s York project in December 2019.
The project continues the nationwide expansion of subsidy-free renewable power, to meet the UK’s net zero-carbon energy commitments.
Cirencester Hybrid Solar Farm uses battery storage and sophisticated technologies to maximise revenue and help balance the grid – both during the day with direct solar generation and at night with energy stored in the 51 MWh battery.

The 23 MWp solar farm includes more than 43,000 bifacial solar panels on trackers, co-located with 51 MWh of DC-coupled energy storage. This is one of the world’s most technically advanced solar farms, which has achieved a significant design feat to avoid multiple conversion processes, increase efficiency, and help balance the grid. The site will produce enough energy to drive over 88 million miles1 every year in modern electric vehicles, or put another way, will produce enough energy to drive more than a hundred thousand electric cars from Land’s End to John o’ Groats.
It demonstrates how local authorities can partner with GRIDSERVE to deliver projects which cut carbon, supply zero-carbon clean electricity, and fund essential council services.
Electricity from Cirencester will be used to help provide net zero energy for Warrington’s fleet of all-electric buses, coming next year, while the hybrid solar farm in York – handed over in December 2019 – is providing energy which can be sold into the grid.
A third site in Hull is supplying all the council’s net zero energy needs, making Warrington Council the first local authority in the UK to produce all of its own electricity.

GRIDSERVE chief executive Toddington Harper said: “It is our collective responsibility to tackle the climate change emergency. Projects like Cirencester Hybrid Solar Farm require no government subsidy and deliver secure, affordable and plentiful energy. They demonstrate that the UK can meet its net zero obligations, and in partnership with Warrington Borough Council, enable us to deliver radical carbon reductions to move the needle on climate change in the fastest possible timeframes, and at the lowest cost.”
The council’s cabinet member for sustainability and climate change, Cllr Janet Henshaw, said: “The completion of Cirencester Hybrid Solar Farm is great news for Warrington. It will provide a huge boost to our ongoing work to tackle the climate emergency, reduce greenhouse emissions and tackle fuel poverty in our borough. It will also provide enough net zero carbon energy to charge our fleet of all-electric buses when they are rolled-out next year.
“Investing in subsidy-free developments has been a landmark achievement for the council. Each project has proven to be a solid strategic decision to ensure the borough’s future energy security. We look forward to working with GRIDSERVE to ensure Cirencester Hybrid Solar Farm continues to generate optimal financial and environmental returns.”

GRIDSERVE has deployed a number of sophisticated technologies to maximise efficiency and revenue for Warrington. These include bifacial solar panels, which generate electricity on both sides, as well as trackers which enable panels to follow the sun, maximising generation as well as stabilising output over the whole day. Together, these enhancements increase solar generation by around 20 per cent compared to comparable solar farms that don’t employ these technologies.
GRIDSERVE will operate and maintain all three solar farms during their lifetimes to maximise system performance and value for the council.