Christmas Tree Farm takes on renewables . and wins!

The move towards renewable energy in the UK has been a slow one; however the recent government-backed injection of cash through its Feed In Tariffs (FiT) scheme has caused a huge increase in installations. One such resident is Andrew Ingram, who saw the opportunity for his Christmas Tree farm. Andrew has always been a big believer in renewable energy and thanks to the FiT scheme, he now benefits from energy savings and a sound investment for the future. Following a consultation with Ownergy and the recommendations from it Energy Selector, Andrew opted for a solar power (photovoltaic) system for his farm and is set to achieve a return of 280,000 in the next 25 years as well as saving money on his bills.

Commenting on his installation, Mr Ingram said: I have been investing in renewable energy for the farm for a number of years, but until the Feed-In Tariffs were introduced, renewable electricity generation just did not make sense financially. However, the new tariffs have slashed the payback time from approximately 35 years to about ten to twelve years, delivering an impressive financial return. At the same time, with energy prices rising and the potential for shortages of supply an increasingly likely possibility, the system gives the comfort of greater control of my own energy.

What finally persuaded me though, was the confident and professional approach Ownergy brought with them. Of all the companies I spoke with, Ownergy were the only ones to calmly take on the challenges of the site and offer a roof-mounted system instead of a simpler ground mounted system which was of less appeal to me due to the necessary loss of land. Ownergy just took it in their stride, sourced the right specialists and got the job done. Because of this, the system is now doing exactly what the Ownergy team said it would in terms of performance, which is fantastic.