Focusing on Renewables at Heal Farm with Solar PV

Heal Farm is a multi-agricultural farm, farming Potatoes, Eggs, Oilseed and Rape, based in Shropshire.

The farm has a significant electricity demand in order to function and choose to work closely with Alt-Group to maximise generation on site, sustainably.

There are 3 sites with the main unit drying grain and a further two focussing on: storing and conditioning feed and storing and grading potatoes – along with several workshops. To provide affordable energy, Alt-Group installed 550kW of roof mounted Solar-PV.

With a complex setup, Tony Heal understands the necessity of combating rising utility prices whilst maintaining standards expected from such an entity. Alt-Group were at hand to provide advice and deliver a solution that secures future efficiency and serviceability to an already successful business.
New technologies & innovations secured now and for future generations.

Installing rooftop solar PV makes perfect business sense. Tony Heal has always had new technologies and innovations in mind when moving forward. Part of these technologies is the importance of controlling their own energy costs. By introducing Solar-PV, Tony has not only secured savings in excess £1,600,000 over the next 25 years, with a payback of 5.1 years but massively reduced his carbon footprint moving forward.

Tony explains…
“All of our produce is sold to customers through contracts, establishing both a market and a fixed price, allowing us to concentrate on service, quality and yield. We are able to generate our own electricity through the use of Solar panels on our potato sheds as well as the rooves of our Free-Range poultry units. Thus, enabling us to meet some of our voluntary environmental goals. Energy efficiency, control and auditing is paramount in our efforts and is already delivering significant energy savings.”

Solar PV will now provide Tony’s business with a substantial amount of its electricity needs. This will further reduce their reliance on ever more expensive grid supplied electricity.

System Key Facts and Predictions: 

• 114 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided per annum
• 550kW with 370w Longi Solar Panels
• 490,000 – units of energy produced per annum
• Solis Inverters
• £53,287 savings, assuming 80% of electricity is used on site
• 6% – projected first year return on capital invested, before capital allowance benefits
• 1 years system payback – before finance, tax and capital allowance benefits
• £1,619,000 – Net benefit of system over 25 years, after indexation

*Amended to September 2021 rates.