Wiltshire Council has given energy and waste management company Viridor Ltd, approval to develop a solar farm on a closed landfill site at Westbury, it was confirmed yesterday (21 October).
The Westbury site currently produces enough landfill gas to power the on-site turbines, but Viridor states that it expects this to run out in five to six years. As such, Viridor announced earlier this year that it was to build a solar park across 10 hectares of the Westbury site, which, when fully operational, could generate 3.5 megawatts (MWh) of electricity; enough to power 1120 homes.
Work to install the panels is expected to commence in early 2014, with the park generating power from ‘spring 2014’.
“Wholly sustainable development”
Marcus Du Pree Thomas, Viridor’s Development Manager, said: “We are delighted that planning permission has been granted. This wholly sustainable development will help meet Wiltshire’s renewable energy targets and comply with local and national planning policy.
“The locationand design of the scheme, adjacent to the existing cement plant and clay pit, means the character of the area will not change and the current grassland/grazing can remain and continue to support the local biodiversity.
“The electricity generation infrastructure is already in place as it has been used for energy generation for many years.”
UK Solar Power
Despite having a measure of solar radiation energy (insolation) of less than 120 watt-hours per square metre (Wh/m2) – low for Europe – the UK’s solar energy capacity rapidly increased over the last few years.
This has been partly due to EU initiatives, the UK government’s Feed-in tarriff (FiT) that pays electricity producers for energy generation, and the gradual reduction in price and increased commercialisation of photovoltaic panels.
Last year the government estimated that four million homes will be powered by solar energy by 2020 as part of the ‘Roadmap to a Brighter Future’.
The news follows on from a survey commissioned by the Energy Saving Trust that found that 26 per cent said they thought it would be ‘difficult to supply enough energy to meet the UK’s needs by 2018’.
Read more about the UK solar energy and the FiT tariff or Viridor’s planning application for the solar park.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.