Solar farm developments set for green light

Two solar farms on sites in Caerleon, Newport, which could together generate enough electricity to power about 2,600 houses, are set to be given the go-ahead by councillors.Lightsource Renewable Energy submitted plans to Newport City Council in September 2015 for two sites located on farmland to the north west of Lodge Farm.The first 23.1-acre site would be able to generate 3.91MW of electricity, enough to power typically about 1,375 typical houses. A further 3.41MW of electricity could be generated from the second 27.7-acre site, enough to power about 1,200 homes.The power generated will be fed directly into the local power grid network for use by the nearest points of demand.Both sites are expected to have an operational lifetime of between 30 and 35 years.Lightsource said that a total of 2,400 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions associated with electricity generation could be avoided per year, with the projects also likely to provide opportunities for local contractors.A report to be considered by the council’s planning committee at a meeting on Monday (8 February 2016) has recommended approval for both schemes, subject to conditions.