The UK is the first major economy in the world to pass laws to end its contribution to global warming by 2050.
The target will require the UK to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, compared with the previous target of at least 80% reduction from 1990 levels.
The UK has already reduced emissions by 42% but the outstanding target will take some meeting and require some novel thinking across all sectors. In June 2019 the Council voted unanimously that the District should strive for Carbon Neutrality. The Independent Group are visiting businesses across Bassetlaw that are actively making a contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gases in energy production and demonstrating a more effective utilisation of raw materials in their processes.
One such business in Sutton Ward is Moat Farm Solar Ltd located north of Station Road between Sutton cum Lound and Barnby Moor. What started off as a visit to see the solar farm close up in the company of owner James Helliwell was extended with a visit to see other environmentally friendly work carried out at the working arable farm itself at Moat Farm in Torworth.
The solar farm stretches across two adjacent fields of 22.5 acres in total which have been built on difficult to access, low yield (grade 3) arable land. The peak output is 4.6 MW (enough electricity to power around 1,500 average households {average consumption of 3,300 kWh }). A typical 5 MW installation will save around 2,150 tonnes of C02 per annum. The solar farm consists of around 19,000 solar panels each producing DC (direct current). That DC voltage is transformed into AC (alternating current) through inverters and fed into the local grid at 33KVA.
The solar farm electrical connection to the local grid is controlled remotely. The solar panels are cleaned once per year using recycled water collected from the roofs of Moat Farm’s buildings. The fields have been sown with a wildflower mix including Phacelia, Shepherd’s Purse, Yarrow, Cornflower, Red Clover, Birds Foot Trefoil and more to encourage insects and invertebrates. They are mown once per year once ground nesting birds have left. Bat and bird boxes have been installed all around the site. The two fields are leased by Moat Farm to the operating company Moat Farm Solar Limited and owned by British company Greencoat Capital.
Images of the installation showing the arrays of solar panels, inverters and control/substation are shown in the gallery as are images of the water recycling system and one of a number of fields totalling 50 acres of wildflower meadows established at Moat Farm (currently shown in bloom is Red Clover). The farming business also recycles 100% of plastics, oil and steel, uses organic fertiliser where possible, operates GPS systems and integrated management which keeps fertiliser and spray to an absolute minimum, some fields will be organic for 2 years as part of a rotation. The farm always looks to reduce food miles as much as possible, has planted 4000 tree and hedge plants just since 2015, installed bat boxes, bird boxes, owl, other raptor boxes and hedgehog houses all around the farm, has 24 miles of hedgerow under conservation management along with 24 miles of 2 metre wide wild native plant species wildlife corridors, plus over 20 bee hives, overwintered stubbles to provide winter habitat for a broad range of species and long term protection of ancient trees, grasslands, historic buildings and sites.
