Exton Energy is a proposed solar farm and battery energy storage system (BESS) in Rutland, located approximately 1.8 km south east of Exton, west of Barnsdale Road and north of Exton Lane. Exton Energy will have the capacity to provide up to 49.9 megawatts (MW) of clean renewable electricity through photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. The BESS will have a capacity of up to 45 MW, allowing the project to store energy on site, and then release it to the grid when it is needed the most.

Exton Energy is being developed by Econergy, an Independent Power Producer. Econergy has a proven track record of building, owning, and operating renewable energy projects across the UK. It is currently developing 224 projects that would generate a total of 7.2 GW of renewable energy in 6 countries around the world. Econergy is powering the world’s future energy needs with world-leading renewable energy plants optimised to provide a consistent supply of sustainable energy with significant positive environmental impact.

To avoid the catastrophic effects of climate change, there is an urgent need to transition to low-carbon energy sources. The UK is a global climate leader, having made ambitious targets to be net-zero by 2050, and have a net-zero power supply by 2035. At the local level, Rutland County Council has declared a climate crisis and underlined its commitment to addressing this global issue. In order to meet these targets, more renewable energy generation and storage is needed. Furthermore, energy security is a growing concern, so there is a great need for locally produced renewable energy. Exton Energy offers a low cost and safe way of delivering clean, renewable energy to approximately 14,400 homes.

[1] Based on Ofgem’s typical household consumption values.

The site for Exton Energy was selected because of its proximity to a grid connection and access to sunlight, with natural screening on all sides. The land is mostly comprised of Grade 3b agricultural land, which is considered moderate quality, with no environmental designations or public rights of way.

Renewable technologies, such as solar, reduce the levels of carbon dioxide that are being emitted into the atmosphere by replacing electricity generation from fossil fuels. With a generating capacity of 49.9 MW, Exton Energy would save a total of approximately 15,030 tonnes of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere each year. That’s the equivalent of removing approximately 3,330 cars from our roads.

Solar farms can deliver major benefits to the environment, in addition to cutting carbon emissions. Because the panels are set on posts with minimal disturbance to the ground, the rest of the land is available to support new plant and animal life, often resulting in a significant increase in biodiversity. This could include establishing wildflower meadows that are habitats for pollinators and birds, promoting wetland habitats to reduce flood risk and support aquatic life, or restoring hedgerows and native species. Econergy designs projects in response to local feedback and would like to hear from the local community about its ideas for environmental enhancements, including suggestions for local plant species.

The proposal on the identified site has been screened under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations. The proposal is deemed not to require and EIA. Although an Environmental Statement for an EIA is not required, the wind range of environmental studies and reports will be undertaken to assess, traffic, landscape, flood, ecology and noise.

Not at all. The land at the proposed Exton Energy site is comprised of mostly Grade 3b agricultural land. This is defined as moderate quality, with limited ability to grow many crops. Whilst the solar farm is operational, the soil would be left to recover so that it would be higher quality at the end of the life of the solar panels. Furthermore, the land between the solar panels can be used for grazing or hosting beehives, to support agriculture and produce renewable energy at the same time.

Exton Energy will generate clean, renewable energy which not only reduces carbon emissions to fight the threat of climate change, but also reduces other types of air pollution caused by conventional energy production.

Econergy is committed to using local suppliers whenever possible, creating new jobs during construction and throughout operation.

Econergy is also committed to increasing biodiversity and improving the environment through additional wildlife enhancements at the Exton Energy site. We would like to hear from the local community about these ideas to determine how the project could be designed to maximise the positive impacts for both the environment and the local community.

Econergy will be submitting a full planning application for Exton Energy to Rutland County Council, which is the local planning authority for the project.

The area of the proposed site for Exton Energy is approximately 81 hectares.

The solar farm is sensitively sited by making best use of natural landscape features. The design of the site will evolve in response to consultation feedback, which may help to shape where the solar panels go.

The number of panels depends on a variety of factors such as the capacity of each panel, and the design of the arrays. This will be determined at the pre-construction phase of the project, if planning permission is granted and will also be dependent on the type of panels and supporting infrastructure that are commercially available at the time of construction.

The height of the arrays is not currently known and will be subject to the outcome of ongoing environmental investigations. Currently, we are proposing the maximum height will not exceed 3 metres.

The project will make use of a nearby grid access point, providing electricity into the grid for use by local homes and businesses. We are also exploring an option to provide a direct line to a local utility provider.

The projects are proposed to connect to the local network via underground cables.

The project is a temporary installation, it is envisaged that the operational lifespan of the project will be approximately 40 years.

It is envisaged that there will be fencing around the site. This would be sited inside the outermost hedgerows and vegetation, ensuring that the fence is visually obscured, and access is available for hedge trimming and maintenance. The perimeter of the site would be protected by a system of CCTV cameras and/or infra-red cameras, which would provide full 24-hour surveillance around the entire perimeter. There would be no lighting within the site at night-time.

Yes – BESS is a safe and effective technology that is utilised effectively throughout the UK and around the world.

Lithium-ion batteries have been manufactured and utilised since the 1990s. Since then, there has been over 2GW of stationary battery storage deployed and safely operating in the UK, and over 25GW of battery storage in electric vehicles

Today’s storage systems feature smart battery management systems which will immediately shut off the system when a fault is detected. The housings for the batteries have built-in fire suppression and advanced fire and gas detection systems.

There are global standards for battery storage systems safety, such as UL9540 which all of our battery storage systems will be certified to, and design standards such as NFPA 855 which all of our systems will meet

On all of our sites, we engage with the local fire department and hold workshops to help familiarise them with the technology.

Solar panels and the associated electrical and energy storage infrastructure are not known to pose any health risks to those living in close proximity to the site. Like most electrical equipment, including some found in domestic households, the required infrastructure at Exton Energy will emit very low electromagnetic frequency. The primary component to emit EMF is the inverter. All inverters are tested and have to be compliant with IEC 55011 and IEC 61000-6-2 before they can be used.

We have identified two access points for the site located on its southern perimeter along Exton Lane.

We are currently studying the potential impact on traffic and will release a transport report to outline the anticipated impact on local traffic during construction and ongoing operations. At this point, we anticipate 10 commercial vehicles per day during the construction period.

In general, batteries will make a small amount of noise when discharging energy to the grid alongside minimal noise from newly adopted liquid cooling systems which are much quieter than the previous fan based cooling systems on batteries. Cooling systems help to ensure safe and efficient operation of the batteries

In order to demonstrate acceptable levels of noise at the neighbouring noise sensitive properties, a noise assessment will be prepared to accompany the planning application. The assessment would be carried out against the requirements of British Standard and World Health Organisation guidelines, to ensure that the operation does not result in adverse noise impacts to meet the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework.

In the unlikely event that the initial assessment indicate the potential for impacts, additional noise mitigation measures would be identified, which may include:

• Acoustic fencing around the BESS;

• Planting of trees and hedgerows to act as a natural barrier between the BESS and the surrounding area

• Consideration of attenuators on the equipment; and

• Repositioning of the equipment within the site.

With appropriate measures implemented, noise levels from the operation would be reduced to ensure that there were no adverse noise impacts at the surrounding noise sensitive properties.

This location was selected in part because it benefits from natural landscaping on all sides.

As part of the planning process, a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) will be undertaken and explained in accordance with a methodology compliant with Landscape Institute and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment Guidelines.

Throughout the consultation process we will welcome feedback on the viewpoints and any mitigation including landscaping and the positioning of panels.

Solar panels are designed to absorb light and not to reflect it. They pose little risk of glint or glare. Testament to this fact is the installation of solar panels at Gatwick Airport, alongside major roads and other sensitive assets. However, we will be conducting a Glint and Glare Assessment to ensure there are no significant impacts.

Exton Energy will create both direct and indirect permanent jobs throughout construction and operation. Contract opportunities may be indirectly created through the land management requirements and site maintenance activities such as cleaning of panels and maintenance of electrical equipment. Econergy is committed to using local suppliers wherever possible.

Solar power is now one of the most cost-effective sources of electricity generation in the UK. The Government has decided that subsidies should no longer play any role in solar development, which is good news for the consumer. This means that Exton Energy will not receive any government funding, and instead, private sector investment can provide clean renewable energy and new innovative technologies at no additional costs to the consumer. Furthermore, as conventional forms of energy are becoming increasingly volatile, locally-generated renewable energy offers a more stable and reliable source of energy.