Solar panel farm opens in Scotland

Mackie’s of Scotland is set to switch on the largest solar panel farm when it goes to grid on 30 September.

The installation of almost 7,000 solar PV panels on the Aberdeenshire farm, will have a capacity of 1.8MW, generating the equivalent amount of energy required for Mackie’s to make 4 million litres of ice cream.

Their commitment to growing success of solar energy and diversification in their energy production has been a cornerstone of its 30 years of success in the dairy ice cream industry.

Mackie’s produces a total of 10.5 million kWh of green electricity each year, with approximately 40% of that energy being used directly on the farm and the excess sold via the grid to 100% renewable energy supplier, Good Energy.

Mac Mackie, managing director of Mackie’s of Scotland, says, “One of our goals is to be self-sufficient in renewable energy. A mix of different types of renewable energy makes great sense because they can produce peaks at different times.

“The wind turbines typically produce more power over winter months and the night, while the solar panels obviously produce more electricity in the spring and summer. It does seem perfect for an ice cream company to be reliant on the sun in more ways than one.”

With an annual turnover of £11.5 million, a growth of 5% on 2013/2014, the farm’s business energy requirements has doubled since 2000 to around 4 million kWH per year. This mirrors the increased volume of ice cream as a result of investment in additional freezers, milking robots and packaging machinery, all of which is done on site.

They believe that prime farmland should be retained for food production rather than energy crops, therefore the new 10 acre solar panels site has been built on former grass land rather than arable land.

Gerry Stephens, finance director for Mackie’s, explains, “The site is wonderfully discreet, in that the slope is only visible close up, by walking over the brow of the hill, or by flying overhead. The total solar farm installation Mackie’s will now save approximately 850 more tonnes per year of CO2, further adding to our pioneering sustainable credentials.”

Andrew McGown, director and head of solar at Absolute, adds, “We believe this project will be the first and largest solar farm installed in Scotland, and one that we are incredibly excited to have been involved in.”

 

 

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