It will generate enough energy to power almost 1,000 homes
A typical solar farm (Geograph / TCExplorer)
Council chiefs and Bristol’s City Leap partners have announced plans for the third large solar farm to be installed in the city this year. The City Leap partnership between the city council and US energy firm Ameresco have said they want to create a solar farm big enough to power almost 1,000 homes, on a site in the north west of the city.
Plans for the new solar project, on a brownfield site at Smoke Lane in Avonmouth, are the third to be unveiled this year, with City Leap wanting to extend the solar power field at Severn Road in Avonmouth, as well as create a new one on the very south western edge of Bristol, in a field in Withywood.
This third one would be a stand-alone site and generate 2.5 megawatts of energy – enough to power the equivalent of around 970 homes a year. As Bristol Live reported in depth earlier this year on the way the City Leap is set up, the city council provides the land and Ameresco invests in the solar farm infrastructure, and takes the profit from the income the electricity is sold far, with a cut going back into the community around the solar farm.
The third plan has been welcomed by the man chairing the environment committee at City Hall, Cllr Martin Fodor. “We are excited to see projects like this take shape in Bristol,” he said. “Solar farms are crucial for increasing local power generation and achieving our ambition of becoming a carbon-neutral city.
“By increasing the volume of renewable electricity on our grid, we can cut our reliance on fossil fuels. This project is a welcome example of the Bristol City Leap partnership creating practical solutions and benefit for the local community as well,” he added.
A City Leap spokesperson said the site on Smoke Lane was chosen after meeting a number of criteria – it’s brownfield land in the middle of an industrial area, and would be straightforward to connect to the National Grid.
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The senior vice president at Ameresco is Mark Apsey. “Establishing yet another solar farm site is a significant move forward in Bristol’s transition to clean, renewable energy,” he said.
“From planning and construction to ongoing maintenance, this project will generate skilled local employment and reinforce our community’s economic foundations while paving the way for a more sustainable future,” he added.
The solar farm will require planning permission and, first, City Leap is organising ‘engagement events’ to explain the plans to local businesses, residents and community organisations.