Farmers look to the skies for natural gold

More farmers will this year be looking to the wind and the sun to boost their profits.

The demand from the UK agricultural sector for renewable energy generated by wind turbines and solar systems is increasing at a remarkable pace, especially as energy prices continue to rise, eating into farmers profits.

However, help is on hand. As the renewables sector technology also continues to advance, one Yorkshire-based firm is leading the way in helping our landowners reap a new-age harvest.

Dodds Solar, based at Driffield, is a specialist in this fast expanding field and is keen to show farmers how they can benefit from the Governments commitment to the Feed-in Tariff programme by tapping in to energy from natural resources. They have even installed a solar test bed at their Kelleythorpe headquarters to show potential users how the system works.

The companys managing director, Graham Dodds, said the company was receiving dozens of calls every week from people wanting to learn more about solar energy generation.

He said: The farming community in particular is showing a real interest in power generated by the wind and the sun. Weve all known about the value of naturally sourced energy for some years but the introduction of the Governments Feed-in Tariff, which means farmers can get paid for every unit of energy produced, is exciting for the industry and for farmers.

Once the generating systems themselves are installed, the energy is generated by nature at no cost and there are no transport and delivery charges as there are with the likes of coal and oil. The benefits are significant – to the user in terms of cost savings and the environment in terms of carbon and pollution reduction.

Feed-in Tariffs (FITS) are the electricity part of Clean Energy Cashback, a scheme that pays people for creating their own green electricity. They provide three financial benefits a payment for all the electricity produced, even if you use it yourself; additional bonus payments for electricity you export to the national grid, and a reduction on your standard electricity bill.

Graham Dodds said: More farmers are looking to solar energy as a way of saving money and even adding to their profits. For example, a 33,500 investment could produce a total return of 108,500 over 25 years, an average net gain of 3,000 a year. We realise this is a long-term proposition but it will pay dividends.

Interest in renewable energy and the Feed-in Tariff has been such that Dodds Solar are planning to stage a series of events at Driffield where farmers and home owners can attend to find out more about the technology and potential savings.

For further information, visit www.doddssolar.co.uk on contact Dodds Solar on 01377 272777.