Our solar farm..
... forms part of Blenheim’s ‘Climate Pledge’ to become carbon neutral on scopes 1-3 of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) protocol across all operations by 2027 and, beyond that, to remove 230,000 tonnes CO2e from the atmosphere by 2050.
Solar Park
The creation of this solar park will be a first for Blenheim. Construction has already begun and will continue through to Spring 2024. It is the first step we will make into taking Blenheim off the national grid.
Solar Park
The creation of this solar park will be a first for Blenheim. Construction has already begun and will continue through to Spring 2024. It is the first step we will make into taking Blenheim off the national grid.From the 6.5 hectare site just north east of Woodstock, 93.8 gigawatt hours will be generated over 15 years, which means nearly 15,000 tonnes of CO2 will be avoided. It will provide enough power for 721 homes (based on average annual household demand).
The park is being built by Bouygues E&S Solutions Ltd, a global leader in the development and construction of utility-scale solar power plants and other low-carbon and renewable schemes.
Greener Energy
Solar is a clean, green source of energy, and will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Once the panels are installed, they are pollution-free and cause no greenhouse gases to be emitted.
The panels work all year round and even on cloudy days we can still harvest solar energy. This new energy source will allow us to power the Palace and Estate, our offices, our cars, plus much more, with surplus power being fed back into the grid.
How does it work?
Solar panels are made out of photovoltaic cells, these convert the sun’s energy into electricity.
Photovoltaic cells are sandwiched between layers of semi-conducting materials such as silicon. Each layer has different electronic properties that energise when hit by photons from sunlight, creating an electric field. This is known as the photoelectric effect – and it’s this that creates the current needed to produce electricity.
The panels capture the sun rays, this is then converted to electricity, sent to a substation which will then condition and synchronise the power, ready for injection to the electricity distribution network.
Biodiversity
The landscaping around the solar panels has been carefully planned to protect the local ecology and promote biodiversity. For example, we're planting native hedgerow and species-rich grasses across the solar area, and we're installing bird breeding plots and boxes and underground chambers for amphibians and reptiles. Boundary fences also have small mammal gaps and deer escapes. The reinforced along the south west of the park will help in providing a natural visual screen from the Woodstock direction.
Large Solar Project
As a landed Estate we are uniquely positioned to take positive action in protecting future generations. We believe a nationally significant proposal for solar energy, led by Photovolt Development Partners will help to safeguard this area and support global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and our reliance on fossil fuels. Please visit the Botley West Solar Park website to share your views and find out more. To read more about why we are supporting this proposal click here.
