Construction begins on largest solar farm in Scotland

Construction has started on a 14MW solar farm on the Errol Estate in Tayside, Scotland.

The scheme will be constructed by Canadian Solar on 70 acres of land and is expected to be operational by March, providing power for over 3,500 homes. 

Errol Estate was one of the first locations in Scotland to be identified as a potential solar farm site, with the land being promoted for development by Savills Smiths Gore in 2011.

Savills' Energy Director Thomas McMillan commented on the scheme: "We are delighted to see this project come to fruition; it has been four year in the making and proves that large-scale solar in Scotland continues to be commercially viable.  Solar technology has a far greater role to play in Scotland’s energy mix than many people might realise. Due to reducing installation costs, and a climate of support from Scottish Government, we are continuing to see an appetite from developers to take forward new development sites, even with reducing subsidy support from the Westminster government.”

According to Savills Energy, solar panel installation costs have reduced by approximately 50 percent over the last three years and the wholesale price of electricity is anticipated to increase in the longer term even though we are seeing a short term dip at the moment. 

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