BEIS Secretary of State published an independent review on the government’s new approach to ensuring that its net zero target is achieved. The main emphasis throughout focused on: maximum economic growth, supporting the UK’s energy security, and minimising the costs born by businesses and consumers. There are many points to consider when it comes to evaluating how we should collectively take action inspired by the new regimes stipulated within the review. Some valuable questions to consider, include:

1. How does net zero enable us to meet our economic growth target of 2.5% a year?

2. What opportunities are there for new/amended measures to stimulate or facilitate the transition to net zero in a way that is pro-growth and/or pro-business?

3. How should we balance our priorities to maintaining energy security with our commitments to delivering net zero by 2050? These questions encourage us to look holistically between our economy, energy security and thinking in closer detail at how businesses will be affected throughout the process too.

It’s important for businesses to consider the following questions:

1. What growth benefits/opportunities have you had, or do you envisage having, from the net zero transition?

2. What barriers do you face in decarbonising your business and its operations?

3. Looking at the international market in your sector, what green opportunities seem to be nascent or growing?

4. For clean power industry: what barriers to entry have you found in deploying new plant and technologies?

These are just some of the questions that are outlined within the review, meaning there is plenty of space for us to actively think and acknowledge new systems that we implement into individual businesses infrastructures to achieve our net zero by 2050.

How can we work towards net zero

Net zero is described as “the growth opportunity of the 21st century”, according to Chris Skidmore, in his Mission Zero review. There are huge benefits associated with investing in net zero, which outweigh the costs and can materially improve people’s lives – now and in the future. The target of achieving net zero by 2050 is scientifically supported too, creating a real opportunity to improve both the economy and public living. So how can what types of actions can be made to achieve this target?

The ideation and planning opportunities that come out of answering the pressing questions within the review, will enable businesses and government agencies to put into action steps to work towards the net zero goal. However, it’s also important to be aware of the obstacles on the path to net zero.

Potential obstacles on the net zero pathway

Within the government’s strategy to achieving net zero, there is a promise to successfully decarbonise until 2037 in a cost effective method. This will certainly help us to create a net zero energy system by 2050. But the analysis from the Skidmore review has implied that any delay to pursuing this will could interfere with achieving net zero by 2050. It’s therefore vital that a clear pathway and plan is set in place for the industry to be fully decarbonised. Greater investments should be made, scaling the clean energy industry and hydrogen sector to facilitate decarbonisation. Solar continues to rise in popularity, with developing technology that is aiding this in addition to electrolytic green hydrogen.

Economic opportunities

“Net zero will drive widespread changes across the global economy”.

There is sufficient evidence to suggest that the UK’s economy will be enhanced by net zero goals. Within the review the underpinning statement was “there is no future economy but a green economy”, alluding to the economic opportunities available through businesses adapting and evolving to facilitate a greener future. The UK’s renewable industry has significant potential to grow, with further investments towards technology, new wind generation and solar energy. The sector is expected to receive even more support in the future, especially since the government removed the red tape in win for onshore wind.

What can we expect from net zero?

The review highlights that the net zero targets can positively impact our economic climate, insisting that the UK must act and decisively seize opportunities. Net zero will drive a change in many of our sectors – from the way we generate electricity, to how we heat our homes, travel, produce food and use land. We’ll also experience greater differences in our manufacturing processes and consumer behaviours. This will lead to innovative services coming into place, with new skills and education required to fulfil these duties too. The future is inherently uncertain – but it’s fair to suggest that we can expect to see more technological developments and business models that will support the net zero targets, ensuring a greener tomorrow isn’t out of reach by 2050.

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Solar farms are incredibly cost effective – “costing as low as £54 per MWh.” This contrasts significantly with the rate of power from gas, which remains at £85 per MWh and is estimated to not change until 2025. From a financial standpoint, there are benefits. But what will solar and renewable energy look like in the future?

According to Energy & Climate Intelligence, in one of their recent reports, utility-scale solar and battery storage in Britain offers an opportunity for managing intermittency, as well as providing space for other generators and services to operate. This ties in with our mission at Exagen, where we actively integrate opportunities for biodiversity to be enhanced through our solar farming models.

The benefits of battery storage

Battery storage is adaptable to both residential and utility scale projects, whilst being fully optimised for many electricity system applications. The battery creates a more dispatchable form of solar generation. On a residential scale, the storage can “shift surplus solar power for use in the peak demand period after sunset — for instance lighting, cooking, electric heating, hot water and other electrical loads”. This is ideal as the battery storage is consumed by one household, thus reducing additional imports for power. The battery operates in a self-sufficient format, allowing residential spaces and utility-scale projects to be less dependent on the grid.

Residential battery storage is growing, increasing the growth of solar power

“In the UK, utility-scale solar combined with battery storage is already cheaper than generation by gas, offering a cheaper opportunity for managing intermittency and balancing the power grid.” Supported by 74% of the public, renewable energy benefits are spreading across the UK.

Communities are also supporting wind developments

It’s worth looking at wind as a form of renewable energy too. “Onshore wind is one of the cheapest and quickest forms of energy and we can build it fast for communities that want it,” said Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy Group’s generation arm.

Towards the end of last year, Octopus Energy announced that their Winder platform identified 2.3GW British onshore wind potential with local communities support. Zoisa continues: “It’s possible to build more wind turbines where people want them, helping to end our fossil fuel reliance, lower energy bills and unleash economic growth.” 87% of the public supporting a wind turbine being built in their community, as long as it was cheaper.

In a YouGov poll proposing the question ‘Should the government pay energy companies to develop wind power’, 74% answered yes (last updated: on 21st November 2022).

Solar Finance & Investment Europe – David Kemp

We are proud that Exagen’s Chairman and Principal at Emanate Capital, David Kemp, chaired the opening keynote at the prestigious ‘Solar Finance & Investment Europe’ event.

Now in it’s 10th year, Solar Finance & Investment Europe is the meeting place for solar developers, asset managers, investors & financiers to learn the latest business models for project finance, re-financing, power purchase agreements as well secondary markets for PV assets. The conference also looks at latest technologies and systems for maximising power output and efficiency, reducing losses and predictive maintenance.

Below is an excerpt from David’s speech:

‘’When considering what to say this morning, it was easy to focus on the challenges ahead – conflicts, inflation, grid, political and regulatory shocks, trade wars, supply chain concerns, staffing shortages, rising funding costs, price volatility, and so on.  But it is reassuring at this time to look back at the phenomenal growth of our sector over the past decade which saw solar capacity across Europe increase from around 70GW to 210GW and in the UK from about 2GW to over 14GW today. This was achieved through a decade of turbulence…despite conflicts, a global pandemic, grid challenges, political and regulatory shocks, price volatility and trade wars.  There are over 450 of us here over the next two days to discuss the challenges, but also lessons learnt, new markets, smarter technology, ESG tailwinds, more fundraising, more direct investment, more lessons learnt, more offtake solutions, more business structures, more co-location opportunities. There is a lot to look forward to’’

If you would like to hear more about Exagen’s latest developments, please contact David directly.

The degradation cost of soil is £1.2 billion per year and the loss of both the volume and quality of soil has a significant impact on our environment. Impacting everything from our ability to absorb carbon to the production of growing our food. This is an issue, especially as our population continues to expand by the day. So how can we ensure that our agricultural environment is optimised and cultivated to recovery?

The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs released official statistics in the UK’s Food Security Report (2021).

“Food waste in agriculture and in the supply chain is an economic and environmental loss”.

The stats are incredibly high with the estimated annual combined surplus and waste totalling at 3.6 million tonnes (Mt). This is due to a lot of unnecessary land and resource use, where millions of carbon emissions are released and billions of pounds are wasted. To reverse the cycle of waste, we need to therefore optimise our use of the land to ensure that we are producing food more efficiently and reducing waste materials from accumulating.

Figure source: Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs – Indicator 2.2.2 Agriculture and supply chain waste

Is crop rotation our answer?

Crop rotation has many benefits – from soil fertility to weed, pest and disease control. Through changing crops annually, this reduces the chances of particular soil deficiencies developing. With different crops having different nutrient requirements it’s important to be aware of this when establishing what soil to tend your crops with. Crops such as potatoes and squashes have more dense foliage and this suppresses weeds, reducing the demand for weed maintenance. Soil pests and diseases tend to attack specific plant families. By rotating the crops between sites, this will help to decline the number of pests. The Royal Horticultural Society shares further insights, learn more here.

How to cultivate crop rotation

Farmers are greatly impacted by the negative effects that come with intensive crop cultivation. The high demands for food and lack of biodiversity have left many Farmer’s with land that has poorer soil, reducing their ability to work, leading to food scarcity. Sustainable food production methods are needed to facilitate the UK’s long term plan of protecting natural, healthy soil, water and biodiverse ecosystems. Good farming practices should come into force to reverse the effects of intensive crop cultivation. One of the key principles of organic farming, reiterated by government statistics is crop rotation. This can reduce harm to the land and improve soil health, offering long term sustainability. Furthermore, crop yields reverse the decline of biodiversity as it curves the loss of habitats and enables nature to flourish.

Integrating agriculture within solar farming projects 

Solar farms have a multifunctional connection to the land and produce clean energy, whilst also offering livestock grazing for animals. The agrivoltaic (dual-use) of solar offers a promising opportunity within the industry as it enables food crops to grow in between the rows of panels. The productivity of an agrivoltaic plot is considerably higher as mentioned by sustainability researcher, Dr. Richard Randle-Boggis as it is producing two different outputs at the same time.

Looking at the land from a multifunctional perspective

Farmers are currently faced with huge challenges to overcome. With increased regulations, unstable incomes, whilst the impacts of climate change continue to create set backs. If we want to see a change, there needs to be more diversity in the development of energy infrastructures within the land. This can be resolved by integrating a small portion of solar into the farm, to optimise the landscape with renewable energy solutions. At Exagen, we have a long-term vision when integrating solar farms into wider land to foster biodiversity and enhance the land with renewable energy.

These are some of the benefits surrounding land diversification.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) supports solar and encourages farmers to embrace this use of land to enhance longevity of agricultural environments. If you have any further questions about agriculture and renewable energy, send us a tweet.

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We Featured in Energy Global

Energy Global is an international journal offering analytical information regarding renewable energy – covering solar, wind, and bioenergy news.

As part of their Winter 2022 magazine our Development Director, Mark Rowcroft wrote an article called ‘Here comes the sun?’. Drawing light out of the darkness looming over the energy crisis, Mark referenced viable energy solutions inspired by the benefits surrounding renewable energy sources. The renewables industry is currently filled with measurable solutions, one including the integration of batteries to fuel solar energy. Many of our projects at Exagen are co-located with battery storage to create a smarter network. For example, one of our recent projects, Normanton Energy Reserve in Leicestershire, demonstrates how we’ve used battery-power as the answer.

“The renewables picture is positive and solar is currently enjoying its moment in the sun, with solar generation increasing by a record 179 Two (up 22%) last year.”

Building a smarter network

In order to create a smarter network, there needs to be more intentionality about how we utilise land and integrate energy solutions throughout the development process. This is integral to our approach with all projects. As highlighted by Mark in the article, network-related tools such as smart meters and smart appliances are becoming increasingly popular for consumers to bring into their homes. This will lessen the reliance on gas and accommodates more renewables into the network. The benefits shaping mega batteries as a primary source of energy, could be the ‘silver bullet’ taking gas out of the picture. More spaces are emerging to facilitate large-scale battery farms to be developed and stored within.

Want to learn more about?

• The future of solar energy
• Solar technology in grids
• The benefits of increasing the use of batteries

Click here to read the full article, starting from page 64.

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We have achieved excellent press coverage for the Normanton Energy Reserve planning submission.

Including media coverage in the BBC News, BBC Radio Leicester, Current+, Energy Global and BBC1 East Midlands, to name a few.

The PR coverage was accompanied by additional media achieved in December 2022 which delivered 23 published pieces and 929K broadcast audience.

You can read all our coverage over the past week via the links below.

• BusinessLive – Green energy firm Exagen plans £350m battery energy compound in heart of the Midlands
• The Business Desk – Plans submitted for £350m Leicestershire battery site
• The Engineer – Exagen submits plans for £350m grid-scale battery
• Leicester Mercury – Plans revealed for £350m battery storage plant which could power almost 20,000 homes for 24 hours
• Head Topics – Plans for Leicestershire renewable energy storage site submitted
• BBC News – Plans for Leicestershire renewable energy storage site submitted
• BusinessGreen – UK’s grid battery sector set to for 550MW boost
• Energy Global – Exagen submits plans for Normanton Energy Reserve
• Energy Storage News – UK developer Exagen submits application for 500MW/1,000MWh battery storage project
• Clean Energy Pipeline – Exagen seeks approval for grid-scale battery in Leicestershire
• Current± – Exagen submits plans for 500MW/1GWh battery storage mega-project
• New Power – Exagen seeks planning permission for 500MW battery
• Renewables Now – Exagen submits plans for 500-MW battery in Leicestershire
• ReNews – Exagen submits plan for 500MW battery site
• Solar Power Portal – Exagen submits plans for 500MW/1GWh battery storage mega-project

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• 500MW / 1GWh battery site will be capable of powering 235,000 homes for two hours, the same number of homes as in Sheffield, or 80% of the homes in Leicestershire, the county in which the battery will be situated.
• Exagen will use approximately 45% of the 19-acre site to improve biodiversity, including extending Normanton Millennium Wood and delivering a 44% net gain for biodiversity habitat units.
• Developer will be establishing a community fund to spend on improvements in the local area, with citizens invited to consult on how the fund and land is used.

Following a period of public consultation and planning assessment, Exagen has today announced that Normanton Energy Reserve, a 500 MW / 1 GWh grid-scale battery site on land to the northeast of Earl Shilton, Leicestershire – has been submitted to Blaby District Council. With plans for further consultation with the local community, the site is a blueprint for co-locating energy with community green spaces and boosting biodiversity.

Once built, the battery will be one of the largest in the UK and capable of powering 235,000 homes for two hours, the same number of homes as in Sheffield, or 80% of the homes in Leicestershire, the county in which it is situated.

The £350 million battery site, which is around ten times larger than the majority of battery projects currently providing storage for the grid, will connect directly to the transmission network, playing a vital role in managing natural fluctuations in intermittent renewable energy. Sites like this are essential in helping the UK to transition to net zero and securing our home-grown energy supply, easing our reliance on foreign fossil fuels, and addressing fuel poverty.

Exagen, a UK developer of renewable energy, is committed to a community-based approach, with plans to use approximately 45% of the 19 acres of land to improve biodiversity. This will include extending Normanton Millennium Wood with construction of a new permissive path open to the public, as well as the option of wildflower meadows, providing land for beekeeping and new hedgerows and tree planting. The project will deliver a more than 44% net gain for biodiversity habitat units, compared with the existing baseline habitats.

The company will also establish a dedicated community fund to spend on improvements in the local area, such as sponsoring education courses for the skills the UK will need to develop renewable projects in the future. In order to decide how the land and fund is used, the company will consult with local communities, inviting citizens in the area to have their say.

The project will be energised and connected to the grid in 2028 with much of the construction being in the year before this, however earthworks and landscaping would be implemented in advance to allow time for the planting to establish and begin to mature before the main development is constructed. Exagen will look to partner with local businesses on the project, inviting local contractors to get involved.

Mark Rowcroft, Development Director at Exagen said: “We’re committed to transforming energy for good, bringing batteries onto the grid to ensure we can store energy and keep the lights on when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow. That’s why we’re excited to work with local communities and businesses to ensure the project is not only bringing clean, home-grown energy onto our grid, but that the site is also benefitting the local area.

“Over the next few months, we’ll be announcing a variety of opportunities for individuals and businesses to get involved. We look forward to hearing from those in Thurlaston, Earl Shilton and the surrounding area about how we can make this site best work for them long-term”.

Written by Greenhouse Communications 09/01/2023

Here we talk about how we provide solutions to some of the energy sector’s biggest challenges, creating a renewable legacy based on people, technology, and positive environmental impact.

We partner with farmers, landowners, and communities to build biodiversity-boosting projects that tackle the triple threat of energy security, fuel poverty, and the climate emergency.

You can read our full company overview here:

This means that we are in regular communication with diverse individuals about the scalability, suitability and effectivity of delivering our work. Within a recent project, we had a few questions concerning the use of solar farms vs. rooftop solar and how this would effect food security and the energy crisis. 

To address these concerns, Hugo Charteris (Project Developer) from our delivery team participated in a virtual Q&A sharing project insights and offering full transparency.

Solar farms are the answer to our energy crisis

Q. Why don’t more rooftops in the UK have solar fitted?

Hugo:  It’s complicated… there is a general feeling that domestic and commercial rooftops in the UK should be fitted with more solar, and I agree. I believe every new build should be required to have solar fitted on the roof as a matter of policy. It’s a travesty that more domestic rooftops and warehouses are not fitted with solar panels in the UK, and we hope that planning and building regulatory policy changes to correct this.

Q. I see, what about the available commercial roof space out there currently? 

Hugo: Despite there being significant areas of commercial roof space that could host solar, there are a few reasons why they might not – such as the infrastructure of these roofs as well as securing the rights. I’d like to tell you more about this. 

• The infrastructure required to add solar to a roof can be very heavy. From the total weight of the panels, to mounting the frames – it all adds up. This means that many commercial rooftops are not strong enough to support a solar scheme. Most builders will not and are not obligated to make the roofs stronger than necessary due to cost; to facilitate this an entire new roof may be needed. To do this is both wasteful and prohibitively expensive.
• Often, securing the rights to rooftops is not easy. Tracking down the owner and parties with interests and securing rights is very difficult and not straightforward. Some of the obstacles include: the warehouse being tenanted, the tenant could be managed by a management company, the warehouse could be owned by another entity, or it’s built with money from institutional investors or pension funds.

All of these parties would need to agree and accept the terms of the lease of the roof, as well as confirm that the project won’t impact on their existing use of the property. You can imagine the difficulty some may have in agreeing to this and the number of parties that would need to come together to deliver even one commercial roof project. It certainly can be done, but won’t be done in every case, unless legislated.

Q. And Hugo, what are your thoughts on current concerns around food security and solar?

Hugo: There are current concerns around solar and food security – however, I believe solar is not a threat to food security in the UK. To hit the ambitious net zero targets set, we need to develop ground mount schemes – the biggest threat to food security is climate change.

Q. Can you tell me about some of the other key benefits?

Hugo: Another key point is that in 2021, 8789 hectares – approx. 22,000 acres of land, were used in the UK for growing crops for biofuels. This is the equivalent land required for ≈5500MW of solar – enough to power 2.3 million UK homes. An electric car powered by this amount of solar would go 70 times further than a car powered by the same areas worth of biofuels. Solar is far better than biofuels as it is more efficient. It also enhances biodiversity, which aligns with our commitment at Exagen to increase a minimum 20% (that’s 10% above the government expectation). Solar farms also offer farmers and landowners diversification and stability of income.

Q. How much land is occupied by ground mount solar?

Hugo: Currently, ground mount solar occupies a very small area of UK land, about the amount that is used to grow Christmas trees. The UK Government energy security strategy announced in early 2022, set an ambitious target of 70GW by 2035 to hit net zero. 70GW is the equivalent of 1400 schemes of a similar size to our current project. This target of 70GW would require just 0.3% of the UK land area. This is the equivalent to around 0.5% of the land currently used for farming – roughly half of the space taken up by golf courses. Ideally, a mix of rooftop and green fields are needed to meet these high targets.

Q. Are there any positive effects on food security?

Hugo: I’m confident that by building solar, storage and wind farms, many benefits are delivered. The farmer sees a solid revenue into their business, (40 years usually), allowing them to invest in modern efficient farming methods and allow generations of farmers to keep farming. Also, food production in the UK is secured and we can benefit from lower ‘food miles’ and reduced food prices.

Q. Thanks for your sharing Hugo, any last comments?

Hugo: Overall, the benefits afforded by solar farms in ensuring low cost, secure, domestic energy production and the consequential positive effects on fuel poverty and cost of living far outweigh the minimal land it requires, and that’s before we consider the biodiversity, habitat and soil quality benefits that solar delivers in parallel. Perhaps I could tell you more about that next time. 

 

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At Exagen, we are proudly committed and aligned with the British Bee Keepers Association within the UK. It is important to us to create better environments for bees and other wildlife to thrive in harmony with our natural environment. We are therefore delighted to announce that we have recently become members of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust too. 

Who are the Bumblebee Conservation Trust?

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is dedicated to protecting bees. Through their science-led organisation, they actively research and develop strategies to increase the number and distribution of bumblebees. Since 2019, they have been working on a new mission which is comprised of four aims: 

• Enhancing the understanding of bumblebee ecology and conservation 
• Increasing the quality and quantity of bumble habitats
• Inspiring and enabling a diverse range of people to take action for bumblebees 
• To be an effective and sustainable organisation. 

Bumblebee Projects

Similarly, we share an interest in optimising the infrastructure of our projects to ensure that we have produced eco-friendly habitats for nature to thrive within. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s particular activity as part of the BeeWalk is insightful for our work. This is a scientific project involving research on bumblebee lifecycles, threats and habitats, which is then distributed among policy makers and partnering organisations to aid better futures for bumblebees. Through sharing this data annually, we can use it to enhance the conservation of bees by addressing the ever-changing variables that affect their lifespan. 

How are we promoting the conservation of bees?

From our project development strategies to our branding, we are always considering the longevity of our natural planet. Our Bee, which is presented across some of our social media content and marketing material, is a symbol of biodiversity, sustainability and our commitment to enhancing nature. 

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