The first solar farm in Widnes is nearing its one-year anniversary, with those behind the scheme eyeing further expansion of the project.
The massive array of 3,000 solar panels was constructed on the derelict St Michael’s Golf Course almost 12 months ago and was part-funded from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with Halton Council stumping up the rest of the cash.
Two rangers have been funded to look after the maintenance of the site’s solar field and work to support the surrounding ecology.
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The one-megawatt solar farm is designed to generate 850,000kwh of electricity a year and is connected via a private wire to the DCBL Stadium - home of the Widnes Vikings - which will use around 45% of the energy generated - with the remainder being exported to the national grid.
Planners said the reduced energy use at the stadium will help bring down the Council’s carbon footprint, saving around 120 tonnes of CO2 per year, and more than 3,000 tonnes of CO2 over the lifetime of the project. In addition, the electricity used at the stadium will help to reduce the venue’s energy bills.
To date, the solar farm has generated approximately 650,000kwh per year and is on target to exceed its annual target. Given the pandemic and the closure of the stadium for much of 2020 and early 2021, more energy had been exported than originally planned but this is expected to change in the second year. The stadium has used about 20% of the energy, resulting in reduced running costs of approximately £14,000.
The council is now considering the feasibility of extending the solar farm and connecting it to other council buildings.
Cllr Phil Harris, the Council’s portfolio holder for Climate Change, who visited the site recently, said: “The work to create an emerging eco park on what was a former brownfield site is a wider benefit of the solar farm scheme.
“The project is a clear demonstration of the council’s ongoing ambitions to reduce our carbon footprint, improve the environment and reduce council energy use.’’
