FARMERS LOOK TO THE SKIES FOR NATURAL GOLD
Farmers across East Yorkshire are looking to the wind and the sun to boost their profits in 2011.
The demand for renewable energy in the form of wind turbines and solar systems is increasing fast as energy prices continue to rise and as the technology also continues to advance, one East Yorkshire firm is leading the way in helping to bring home this new-age harvest.
Dodds Solar, based at the Kelleythorpe Industrial Estate, Driffield, has quickly become one of the region’s specialists in this fast expanding field. Fuelled by the Government’s commitment to the Feed-in Tariff programme, energy from natural sources is in high demand.
The company’s 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. We’ve all known about the value of naturally sourced energy for some years but the introduction of the Government’s 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 their Kelleythorpe headquarters where farmers and home owners can attend to find out more about the technology and potential savings.
