Are any solar farms actually being built at the moment?

[Doing it for the kids]

Lots of applications about but are there many being built Or are companies land banking?

 

[MrNoo]

I suspect the latter although see there has been some movement in places, especially where Councils are buying power through PPA's. Ours has just changed hands for the 4th time in 8 years and still nothing.
Very annoying as have waiting in the wings a large Co who has all the remaining capacity in the area to it's name and actually want to get on and get building.
Grid capacity is the constant issue and can only see it getting worse, unless they can have local solar suppling local network but can foresee lots of problems there.
Some of these Co's are a complete shower of sh*te, promise the world but then shut down completely, so I have 3 Co's who I would never recommend doing any business with whatsoever. Even so far as wanting to know re cropping of said land re inputs etc and they cannot even be bothered to reply to e-mails/phone.
I see that solar is now back in the running for CFD auctions along with onshore wind too. I would imagine that should get things moving in a positive way.

 

[Steevo]

@MrNoo - guessing you don't get rent until it's actually built?

Would be interested to hear the companies you don't warm to. Have had JBM approach me on two occasions, and another more local (but well known) company approach me regarding a different method, and when I said no, they came back to enquire about solar.

 

[Still Farming]

Think BIG Gov u turn with onshore wind generation just happened.

 

[curlietailz]

I believe Lightsource have one being built in Yorkshire at the moment
Lots of talk and positioning
But not a lot of action round our way

 

[MrNoo]

@MrNoo - guessing you don't get rent until it's actually built?

No afraid not. Need to try and explore options but will see what the new Co (Gridserve) can come up with, not very easy as site owned by differing parties.
Will PM you re Co's

 

[Bossfarmer]

Think BIG Gov u turn with onshore wind generation just happened.

could you elaborate on this please?

 

[curlietailz]

could you elaborate on this please?

Something announced yesterday
Govt backing in the energy auction
Will improve onshore wind and solar

 

[Still Farming]

could you elaborate on this please?

In papers

 

[Bossfarmer]

Something announced yesterday
Govt backing in the energy auction
Will improve onshore wind and solar

tariffs getting brought back in? scotland too?

 

[MrNoo]

Something announced yesterday
Govt backing in the energy auction
Will improve onshore wind and solar

Onshore wind and solar are allowed to be included in the Contracts for Difference Auctions (CDF's) again, they were included in the first two auctions (certainly solar, not 100% sure re onshore wind but suspect the same) and of the few sites that won auctions (think the strike price was circa £49-70/Mw) I only think one was built out but again maybe wrong, seems eons ago now. Ironic when Hinckley C is circa £100/Mw strike price.

 

[wd40]

My understanding is the the CfD only applies for schemes 5MW & over, so targets larger wind farms rather than single turbines.