Organisers of the Great Yorkshire Show are celebrating the completion of its new photovoltaic panel rooftop installation at their headquarters in Harrogate, one of the largest systems of its type in the UK.

The 245kW project, comprising 980 Suntech panels and covering over 1,600m2 of roof space at The Great Yorkshire Showground, has been performed by Yorkshire-based Duncan Renewables and took less than four weeks to complete.

With an expected electricity generation of more than 200,000kWh per annum (enough power for 50 houses for one year) the Yorkshire Agricultural Society is looking forward to benefiting from free electricity and a saving of approximately £15,000 per annum. Additionally they will also be reducing CO2, with estimated savings in the region of 175,000 kg being anticipated.

Nigel Pulling, chief executive of The Yorkshire Agricultural Society, said, “Operating in a sustainable way is very important to us. Being a year round exhibition centre we have a significant electricity requirement and installing solar panels was an obvious step we could take to reduce both our costs and our carbon footprint. The scale of the project was somewhat daunting but Duncan Renewables has done a first class job in managing the installation from the initial planning permission application right through to registering the system with OFGEM.

“Due to the number of events we hold here, there was a narrow window within which to complete the project but the team from Duncan Renewables worked efficiently to ensure that the system is up and running in time for The Great Yorkshire Show. We are delighted with the end result and look forward to enjoying the benefits over the next 25 years.”

Duncan Renewables Manager, Richard Peat, added, ”This was a unique opportunity for us to work with one of the most revered organisations in the North of England. There is no better way to showcase the benefits of solar PV, especially at a commercial level, than to have an installation at a site that attracts more than 500,000 people per annum. We’re currently working with many local businesses to help them see how they can generate revenue from renewable technologies. The introduction of the renewable heat incentive means that in addition to solar projects, we are seeing significant demand for our biomass expertise.”