Renewables

FRAM FARMERS LAUNCHES RENEWABLES SERVICE

Fram Farmers is pleased to launch its first new service under the expanding Business Services Division, with the introduction of Renewables & Energy Management.

Dan Cox, Fram Farmers’ new Business Services Manager explains, “With electricity prices likely to treble in the next 10 years, a greater emphasis on ‘Green Energy’, and the government’s ‘net zero’ target, the need for businesses to generate their own renewable energy has never been greater. “In addition, the supply chain is under increasing pressure from retailers to become greener, so this is an area that is becoming more of a necessity when negotiating supplier contracts,” he adds.

“...coupled with the increasing price of electricity, means that the pay-back period can be as good as 5-7 years.”

Despite the Government removing the feed in tariff (FIT) last year, investment in renewable technology has become increasingly popular, thanks to the significant reduction in the cost of the solar panels. This, coupled with the increasing price of electricity, means that the payback period can be as good as 5-7 years. Dan adds, “We have teamed up with a small number of hugely experienced renewables suppliers, recognised for successfully servicing the agricultural and rural industries for over 10 years.”

CASE STUDy 1 - Onion store roof mounted solar PV

A Cambridgeshire-based Fram Farmers member wanted to investigate the viability of solar panels, with his onion store consuming a large amount of electricity. The supplier visited the site, took a detailed look at how power was used, then designed an 81kw East/West roof-mounted Solar PV array, to provide a constant supply of energy throughout the day. The farm is now benefitting from utilising the energy that the PV system produces, whilst also getting paid for exporting excess energy during times of low site electricity demand. The farmer had seen the opportunity of using the roof of the onion store as an asset and modelled its performance and costsaving in the same way he views his crop.

Output – 71,520 kWh per year 18.3 tonnes of CO2 saved per year

Equivalent of 2304 trees planted

Return on investment of 5-6 years The next step is to investigate battery storage, so excess electricity can be stored for use when the sun isn’t shining! Dan adds, “In 2011 the cost of a roof-mounted 50kW Solar PV system would be around £110k. Today the same system would cost roughly £36k. The quality of the systems has not been compromised and the cumulative benefits have improved.”

CASE STUDy 2 - Ground mounted Solar PV

In early 2013, James Foskett Farms Ltd, based near Woodbridge, East Suffolk, installed this 244.8 kW ground mounted Solar PV array. Since its commissioning, the system has been producing an average 225,000 kWh of electricity per year, providing a huge saving on electricity bills. The generation of the Solar PV array supplements the activities on site, such as the cold storage, crop grading and the offices. Electricity not used is sent to the National Grid, earning a payment through an export Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Operation of the Solar PV system is relatively straightforward, but James has recently booked one of Fram’s FREE health checks for his system, to ensure each panel is performing to its potential.

SOLAR MONITORING AND MAINTENANCE

Fram Farmers has also teamed up with a specialist national company, to ensure solar systems are generating the amount of energy that should be expected. The award-winning technology provides data every hour, so any issues are flagged immediately. Dan says, “In the last decade, issues such as poor workmanship, general disrepair and damage to inverters and wiring has resulted in Solar PV systems functioning at 80-90%, or even as low as 40% capacity. “Our new specialist supplier is helping members make the most out of their investment, providing an initial comprehensive health check of the system free of charge. If any faults are found, recommendations are provided on how they can be rectified.” This graph provides an example of the monitoring system, showing the generation of electricity through each inverter. In relation to grassland, this could mean increasing the percentage of crude protein or metabolisable energy within the forage, or improving palatability through application of certain sodium products. In 2018, the government introduced new ‘Farming Rules for Water’, which states agricultural soils must be tested at least every 5 years. Standard soil tests determine the soil pH and the amount of phosphate, potassium and magnesium present in the sample provided. Broad spectrum soil tests are also available and come highly recommended. Origin Fertiliser’s Nutrition Agronomist Callum Norman says, “They provide a more inThe graph illustrates that one inverter (green line) had completely shut down on 18th August, and is no longer generating electricity. It also shows another inverter dramatically reduced generation a few days previously, and has been performing poorly in relation to the rest of the system. So far this has cost the owner £1,080 for the three weeks the inverters have been affected, due to the loss of energy production. depth examination into the soil nutrients and additionally tests for crucial micronutrients which, if low, could be the limiting factor of poor grass quality and yield. “In the last 12 months, 87% of soils sampled for sodium by Origin Fertilisers were found to be chronically deficient. Sodium is required in grass for the synthesis of sugars and glucose and if levels are low it could have a detrimental effect on forage palatability.” Due to sodium being a mobile nutrient, it is difficult to increase soil reserves, so Mr Norman advises applying sodium little and often alongside nitrogen applications to achieve optimal results. “How long would the owner have continued without investigating the system, given the varying levels of generation the system experiences?” asks Dan.

Contact the Business Services team to arrange your free solar health check: 01729 727700 or energymanagement@framfarmers.co.uk

ORIGIN FERTILISERS

GRASSLAND - MEASURE TO MANAGE YOUR SOIL

Soil sampling is essential for determining which key nutrients are present within your soil profile. From the results, a nutrient management plan and prescription fertiliser can be produced to correctly administer the nutrients required to optimise crop yield and quality.

ADVERTORIAL

Selenium is another essential micronutrient which has a direct influence on livestock health and fertility, yet 2019 data suggests 90% of UK grassland soils were deficient. This micronutrient can be applied with your general fertiliser applications to help build soil levels and improve livestock performance.

Contact Callum at Origin Fertilisers for more information: 07525 642091 callum.norman@originfertilisers.co.uk