Duchy of Cornwall cuts farm grid reliance

Overview

Lower Blakemere Farm, part of the Duchy of Cornwall estate, needed a practical way to reduce electricity costs across a busy agricultural site.

With grain storage, livestock operations and general farm activity all contributing to demand, electricity use was a significant overhead. Aiming to become more self-sufficient and tackle varying levels of power usage over the year, DW Energy installed a 61.6 kW DC solar PV system with 46.4 kWh of battery storage.

The system was installed on a large agricultural roof, making use of available space without affecting the day to day running of the farm.

The challenge

Lower Blakemere Farm is a working agricultural site, so electricity demand is tied to practical farm operations rather than a neat office style usage pattern.

Grain storage, livestock areas, lighting and general farm equipment all create demand at different points in the day and across the year. That makes energy harder to manage, especially when seasonal activity increases and grid prices remain unpredictable.

The project needed to reduce imported electricity without adding complexity for the farm. Solar PV could make use of the available roof space, but the system also needed storage so the farm could draw on its own generated power outside peak daylight hours.

The solution

DW Energy designed and installed a 61.6 kW DC solar PV system supported by 46.4 kWh of SolaX battery storage.

The system includes 112 UKSOL 550 W solar panels, a SolaX three phase inverter and eight SolaX Triple Power battery units. The proposal estimated annual generation of 55,200 kWh and forecast first year electricity savings of £11,533.37.

The installation was completed in 10 days, with the system delivered to suit the demands of a live agricultural environment.

The result

Lower Blakemere Farm is now averaging over 45% self-sufficient, with self-sufficiency reaching up to 90%+ on sunny days.

For a farm environment, the quality of the installation matters as much as the system performance. Lower Blakemere needed a robust, well planned installation that could operate reliably in a working agricultural setting, and DW Energy delivered the project to the high standards expected by the Duchy of Cornwall.

Get in touch with DW Energy to find out more about how we can support your agricultural sites with more sustainable, and cost-effective solar solutions.