FAQs

We will be connecting to the Ledston Primary substation which is directly adjacent to the site.

We are very pleased to advise that in 2020, our planning application was recommended for approval by officers at Leeds City Council. Planning consent was then granted for our solar scheme in October 2021.

After undergoing a detailed land search, the Barnsdale Solar site was identified as having the best opportunity to create a solar park that links directly into the electricity substation adjacent to the site. The local electricity grid has sufficient capacity to accommodate our proposed south facing Barnsdale site.

Solar panels are designed to absorb light and not to reflect it. They pose little risk of glint or glare.

Our battery storage containers will not be stacked and there will be approximately 32 battery containers (or less) and 16 inverters (or less). 48 boxes total.

Energy storage systems are a safe technology with many smaller scale projects operating across the UK already. There are no fumes and very few materials that pose a threat to humans or wildlife. The main safety consideration relates to fire risk. This development will adhere to strict fire safety regulations with fire detection and active suppression technology in each of the containers to effectively manage this risk.

Li-ion batteries are among some of the safest technologies in everyday use, and the batteries we use at Barnsdale will be based on similar technology to the type of battery in your smartphone. Specifically, our batteries are based on Li-Fe-Po technology (LFP). This has been selected for safety and longevity, with a much reduced fire and combustion risk as well as a longer lifespan than other Li-ion batteries (eg the ones in your phone and laptop).To further minimise any risk – we’ve been working with consultants to consider best-practice health and safety, including fire safety specifically, during the very early stages of this project. This includes spacing out the units so they are a safe distance apart and installing state of the art cooling and monitoring systems. A 24 hour monitoring system means that electricity can be instantly shut off and fire protection systems activated if a rise in temperature is detected.

The cooling units that help to maintain a constant temperature for the battery and inverter units emit a low level of noise as do the transformers in the sub-station. This noise will be carefully assessed and the units would be acoustically insulated to ensure noise levels are acceptable at closest residential properties to the development.

To date, there is no evidence to suggest that co-located sites negatively affect property prices. With appropriate screening, the visual impact is extremely low.

Construction period is expected to take circa.6 months. The construction period will depend on the length of time taken for planning determination, but if possible the two will be carried out simultaneously or consecutively.

We are committed to delivering benefits to the local economy, environment and community. We want to work with the local community to shape the benefits this project can provide. The solar scheme will generate up to £20,000 per annum, which will form the community benefits package.

Providing grid stability is a key element of achieving net zero. This battery storage facility will help the grid to balance out and better utilise the renewable energy generation being constructed across the country (some of it by Banks Renewables). Being located next to a grid supply point provides extra benefits as we don’t need to route new large cables over long distances. The battery storage facility will enable us to store energy generated from the sun and deliver it to homes when they need it most.