0191 378 6100

Solar Farms

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Banks Renewables is investing in the generation and storage of green electricity, including solar power.

Onshore renewable and flexible technologies, including solar farms, play a critical role in the delivery of net zero. A key reason is that they are the cheapest form of electricity generation and can be rapidly and easily deployed. 

This is one of the reasons that we are investing in solar farms, which have become increasingly popular in recent years. Banks Renewables has obtained planning permission for two solar farms, one battery energy storage system (BESS) and is developing other renewable and flexible energy projects throughout the UK. 

This form of green energy has also become a lot more affordable in recent years, meaning it’s more accessible than ever to businesses and consumers looking to make use of sustainable energy.

How do solar farms work?

Large amounts of solar panels are grouped together to form solar farms. In the UK, solar farms face the south to maximise available sunlight. Solar panels are constructed out of photovoltaic cells, which are made of semi-conductive materials like silicon. Each layer of silicon has different electrical conductivity.

When photons hit the panels, they are absorbed by the electrons in the silicon and create an electrical field (known as the photoelectric effect), creating the current necessary to produce electricity. This current is then passed into an inverter, where it’s changed from direct current to alternating current. 

The electrical energy is sent to a transformer that raises the voltage coming from the inverter from 400V to 11–33kV. This minimises energy loss, as energy is distributed to the users. The transformer then directs the electrical current through underground cables to the solar farm control building and substation, where the voltage can be further increased to 66kV for export to the national electricity grid.

The output of the solar farm is measured at this point and the electricity is sent into the grid via cables and overhead lines. 

Our Barnsdale solar project will have an installed generation capacity of up to 40MW, enough to meet the average electricity needs of around 12,000 homes or around half of the households in a town the size of Dewsbury every year!

Want to talk to us about any of our developments?
Contact us now on 0191 378 6100 or email us

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