The solar farm will deliver energy equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 9,250 UK homes and the project will significantly boost biodiversity, delivering a net gain of more than 123% in habitat units.
- Project includes a solar farm of approximately 34 MWp and battery energy storage system with a capacity of
- Exagen’s third planning consent following approval on 520MW of battery storage systems in Leicestershire and Gloucestershire in 2024.
- The planning application was submitted to both Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and Warwick District Council in October 2023 as the project is split across the two council areas.
- Following an appeal, planning approval was issued on the 30th January 2025.
12 February 2025: Exagen, a UK renewable energy developer, has announced that it has received planning permission for the Holly Lane Energy Park, marking Exagen’s first planning consent of 2025.
Following an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate, the solar and battery project will now progress through the next stages of development – and once operational, it will generate power equivalent to approximately 9,200 homes with clean electricity.
The 34MWp solar farm (in Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council) will be connected to the substation via a buried cable that follows the public highway between the two parcels. The 75MW battery storage system will be co-located with a new substation (in Warwick District Council), adjacent to the point of connection into the 132kV overhead line which crosses the smaller eastern site.
The project has specifically been designed to have limited visual impacts, with substantial existing mature screening from hedges around the site and set back from any nearby residential properties.
The timing of the appeal decision is critical with the project having an accelerated grid connection date in 2027. Exagen’s focus is now on getting the project ready to build so it can begin generating renewable energy for the UK grid.
In January 2024, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council agreed a report for its net zero commitments. This showed that 430MW of renewable energy generation capacity is required by 2041, of which just 10.6MW is currently installed. The Holly Lane solar farm will contribute 6% of the capacity required to meet the council’s target.
This project demonstrates Exagen’s commitment to the UK’s target of a fully decarbonised electricity system by 2035 through building, owning, and operating renewable energy generation projects.
Public consultation began in April 2023 and included three events and multiple meetings, gathering feedback from residents, and has enabled Exagen to design an appropriate development for the available grid capacity within the land available. This engagement will continue into the construction and operational phases with the establishment of a community benefit fund, to be tied to the project for its lifetime. Further information will be published on this in due course.
Andrew Mott, Head of Planning and Environment at Exagen said:
“For the UK to achieve its 2050 net zero target at the lowest possible cost, there needs to be an increase in deployment of renewable energy generation alongside energy storage; to meet targets around 3 projects of this size need to be approved and constructed every week.
As more of these projects are developed, it is vital that they are developed sensitively. We’ve been guided by our independent consultant team to deliver a project with very limited impacts; the site benefits from substantial existing mature screening and is set back from any nearby residential properties. It is unobtrusive and balances national need with local benefit.
We are now working to prepare for construction and make the most of an accelerated grid connection date. Further details on the project community benefit fund will also be released in due course.
We welcome both the thoroughness with which the planning inspectorate considered the appeal, and the timeliness of their decision, coming just 2 weeks after the hearing was held.”
Octopus Energy Generation acquires 100% of Exagen Group from founder Jeremy Littman, driving forward UK expansion and advancing its renewable energy pipeline to support national climate goals.
Highlights:
- Exagen gains backing from new ownership to strengthen its position in the UK energy sector.
- The company’s development pipeline includes over 2.4GW of solar and energy storage projects across England.
- This follows Octopus’s initial investment for a 24% stake in August 2022.
24 September 2024: Exagen Group, founded by CEO Jeremy Littman, has finalised a deal for a 100% equity buyout by Octopus Energy Generation, one of Europe’s largest specialist renewables investors. This acquisition, on behalf of the Octopus Energy Development Partnership (OEDP) fund, managed by Octopus, is set to propel Exagen’s ambitious growth plans as it continues to contribute to the UK’s green energy transition.
The buyout follows Octopus’ initial investment in August 2022 for a 24% stake in the business. As Exagen’s project pipeline progresses toward construction, the new ownership will support its long-term growth. Octopus Energy Generation currently manages nearly £7 billion of renewable energy projects across the globe.
In the past year, Exagen has secured planning consent for 520MW of standalone battery storage projects at sites in Leicestershire and Gloucestershire. Additionally, the company has 260MW of solar and 268MW of battery storage either in planning or poised to enter planning in the coming year. Exagen is committed to integrating solar and energy storage infrastructure with natural habitats to enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, and provide community amenities by the end of each project’s lifecycle.
Jeremy Littman, CEO of Exagen Group, commented: “I founded Exagen to deliver and manage a robust pipeline of UK renewable energy projects with the mission of fighting climate change. Having built a talented team to drive this vision forward at pace, I am proud to pass the baton to Octopus , who will continue to deliver projects and expand the platform to new heights.”
“The initial investment from Octopus provided the foundation for Exagen’s success. With this buyout, Octopus is now positioned to further advance our mission of meeting the UK’s renewable energy targets by 2035.”
Alex Brierley, Co-head of Octopus Energy Generation’s fund management team, commented: “We first invested in Exagen two years ago and we’ve been impressed by their strong pipeline of solar and storage projects in development that will help boost British energy security. By increasing our investment, we’re going to turbocharge the build-out of new green energy and rapidly grow the UK’s energy storage capacity.”
22nd February 2024
A solar energy farm capable of supplying cheap and green energy to more than 17,500 homes is being planned for Nottinghamshire.
Renewable energy specialist Exagen has submitted plans to set up the solar farm and battery storage facility on a site in Rushcliffe.
The amount of electricity the site will be capable of generating equates to around a quarter of the energy needs of the entire Rushcliffe borough.
Exagen is applying to build the Old Wood solar farm on lower grade agricultural land, near the village of Wysall, that is not part of the green belt.
The location has been chosen because the electricity generated and stored onsite can be fed directly into existing power lines which pass overhead.
Andrew Mott, Head of Planning and Environment at Exagen, said: “Rushcliffe has set out ambitious targets to help the borough achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Our Old Wood Energy Park will make a significant contribution to meeting that goal, displacing 22,455 tonnes of CO2 each year.”
“The UK’s last coal-fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar only a few miles away will be decommissioned soon. This project represents a symbolic, local opportunity to help the UK switch away from polluting fossil fuel power to quickly generated solar energy.”
Exagen’s team of highly experienced technical and environmental specialists have been working on the planning application for the past two years, and have put in place a series of special measures to protect and enhance the landscape and its wildlife:
- Preserving all existing trees and hedgerows around the site, alongside new belts of woodland, 2.5 km of new hedgerows and further planting to plug any gaps.
- 24 hectares of new grassland planted with wildflowers.
- Green corridors to allow wildlife to pass freely through the site, with traditional 8-foot wooden post stock fencing which keeps deer away from the solar panels but allows smaller mammals like rabbits to pass through.
- Badger setts will be undisturbed and a nesting area for skylarks is being set aside.
- Existing footpaths will be maintained, with the Midshires Way in a screened corridor 40-200 metres wide. This is much greater than legal requirements and will increase the amount of land accessible to walkers.
Inward-facing CCTV will monitor the solar panel areas, but this will be activated only by movement.
Though the application has only just been submitted to Rushcliffe Borough Council (app ref: 24/00161/FUL), Exagen has already carried out consultation with more than 100 nearby residents and spoken to local councillors.
Exagen’s community engagement officer, Sam Warne, said: “We want to work with residents and local councillors to ensure this project makes a positive contribution to the environment in every sense. We’ve already made changes to our plans in response to some of the early feedback we’ve received, particularly around public rights of way.”
Other changes made include increasing the distance between the solar farm and Bunny Old Wood to the north – which will be around 100 feet away at its closest point – and setting the solar farm at least one field back from Bradmore Road, which passes to the east of the site.
The site near Old Wood has been chosen because it enables the energy generated to be connected directly to the National Grid, avoiding costs that would be fed back into bills.
Plans for the Old Wood Energy Park also include a battery facility at the southern end of the proposed site, so that the power generated can be stored and provided to the Grid when it’s most needed.
The plans will also lead to an increase in the biodiversity of the site, with lower grade agricultural land being replaced by grassland and wildflowers.
Exagen has set up a website at https://exagen.co.uk/projects/old-wood-energy-park/ which provides more information about the project.
Andrew Mott added: “This planning submission is a culmination of months of engagement and consultation. Our team have gathered input from local communities, council officers and external stakeholders to shape our project for the better. “We’ll continue to listen to residents and councillors as our application progresses.”
The planning application for the Old Wood Energy Park has been submitted to and validated by Rushcliffe Borough Council. Any representations or comments on the application from interested parties should be submitted directly to the council using the online form under the ‘Comments’ section on the application or in writing (letter or email) to Rushcliffe Borough Council, Rushcliffe Arena, Rugby Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 7YG or planningandgrowth@rushcliffe.gov.uk, quoting the application reference number 24/00161/FUL.