National Grid Solar Power Generation Project

Should solar power be connected to national grid?

Connecting solar power directly to National Grid's transmission network marks a significant step in the renewable energy transition, allowing clean energy to be transported over greater distances and opening a gateway for larger projects to connect to the grid.

Why is National Grid investing £1.3bn a year?

In Great Britain, we are in the middle of a transformation, with the energy we use increasingly coming from cleaner greener sources. National Grid is at the heart of that energy transformation – investing around £1.3bn each year to adapt and develop our transmission network to connect new sources of low carbon and green energy.

Can a photovoltaic solar array connect to the electricity transmission network?

The first photovoltaic (PV) solar array to connect directly to the electricity transmission network in the UK was energised this week as National Grid connected Enso Energy (Enso) and Cero Generation (Cero)’s new 50MW Larks Green solar farm to its Iron Acton substation near Bristol.

How many solar panels will National Grid's Iron Acton solar plant produce?

The solar plant comprises 152,400 solar modules installed in a 200-acre plot near National Grid's 400kV Iron Acton substation. It will generate over 73,000MWh annually – enough to power the equivalent of over 17,300 homes – and will displace 20,500 tons of CO2 each year compared to traditional energy production.

What is national grid doing to speed up electricity connections?

National Grid is working with industry to introduce a series of measures to help speed up connections to the electricity transmission network, including a connections amnesty, new arrangements to manage the connections pipeline, and a new two-stage offer process. ENDS

Will GNR solar park contribute to the UK's energy security strategy?

The British Energy Security Strategy, published in April 2022, aims to increase the UK’s solar capacity fivefold by 2035, equivalent to around 70GW total generation capacity. With an installed capacity of over one gigawatt (GW) DC, GNR Solar Park would contribute 1.5 per cent towards this target.