Fen Farm, Lincolnshire

Our plans to develop a series of Sun Parks – fields of photovoltaic (PV) panels producing electricity from sunlight and connecting directly into the UK grid – have taken a big step forward with this, our very first operating sun park.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels work in daylight even under our dull and cloudy skies, are completely silent, have almost no impact on the ground below (we’re not using concrete anywhere on-site), are easily removable, and are almost 100% recyclable at their end of their useful life.

This is also one of the first in the world to combine the energy of both the wind and the sun into one.  Our Wind Park next door at Fen Farm has been making green electricity since we built it in 2008.  These two power sources are complementary - in winter when there’s less sun there is typically more wind, and vice versa in the summer months. We see a big role for such hybrid energy parks in the future.

And in another groundbreaking development, it’s been part-funded by the proceeds of our EcoBonds. Sun parks are a really exciting new initiative for us and for the UK - not just a new green power source we can harness on a large scale, but also the chance to combine that with wind energy.