The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Tayside leading solar revolution
Public support for solar on the rise in Scotland but subsidy changes causing uncertainty for industry
The huge solar farm officially opened in Tayside in the summer is likely to be the largest in Scotland for years to come, according to one renewables expert.
The 13MW scheme spans 70 acres on Errol Estate and is designed to provide power for more than 3,500 homes.
Errol Estate was one of the first locations in Scotland to be identified as a potential solar farm site, with the land being promoted for development by Thomas McMillan of estate agent Savills in 2011.
Elgin Energy secured planning consent for the scheme, and was responsible for designing the scheme and grid connection.
Canadian Solar has since built out the solar farm, and operates the project.
Savills said that recent cuts by the UK Government had brought uncertainty to the solar photovoltaic (PV) sector, just as it was beginning to gain momentum in Scotland.
But the estate agent added that the Errol project is proof that large-scale solar PV systems work well on the east coast of Scotland, and it is continuing to source solar sites north of the border with a view to developing schemes that are financially viable without subsidy support.
Thomas McMillan, director at Savills Energy, told the Courier: “We are unlikely to see any solar farms in Scotland that are larger than the scheme at Errol for some time.
“From the early 2020s, zero-subsidy schemes are likely to be developed as the cost of solar development continues to decrease and wholesale electricity prices increase.
“For schemes to be viable in a zerosubsidy world they will need to be at the scale of the Errol project, or greater, and located close to large urban populations such as Aberdeen, Dundee and the central belt.
“Smaller schemes may be taken forward where private wire connections can be made to large energy users and where the solar developer can sell power at a higher value than that offered by the grid, particularly where the end user can achieve a 10-20% saving on electricity costs.
“Although the best sites in England achieve higher solar irradiance levels than Scotland, there is still interest to develop sites in Scotland as there is more political support of renewables with a ‘top-down’ government policy.
“There is also more public support for solar north of the border, with less objections from local residents.
“Solar can share grid capacity with wind in Scotland – most wind generation is in the winter and most solar in the summer – and with relatively smaller populations, there is less pressure on potential residential housing sites compared to the south of England, for example. This makes it easier to develop larger projects in Scotland that benefit from economies of scale.”
The Scottish Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse said at the time of the opening of the Errol solar farm he was “greatly encouraged” a variety of organisations were continuing to source solar sites across the country with a view to developing financially-viable schemes.
The Scottish Government is developing a new, overarching energy strategy for Scotland and the minister said solar will play an important role in the mix.
Mr McMillan told the Courier there are around eight solar farms in Scotland, and he expects up to 50 more could be built in the next 10 years.
But he added: “The exact timing of delivery will depend on the pound’s exchange rate and cost of solar panels plus grid availability.”
According to Savills Energy, solar panel installation costs have reduced by around 50% over the last three years.
Last month, Scottish Water said it had boosted its commitment to renewable energy by pledging a £9 million pot to fund solar power projects at its bases over the next three years.
The four contractors lined up for this work include Absolute Solar & Wind, who installed solar panels at Scottish Water’s site in Brechin in the summer.