Renewable energy success for Welsh estate

Rhug Estate began with one solar panel scheme on the roof of the farm shop in 2012 and now has 11 solar schemes, two wind turbines, a variety of hydro schemes, heat pumps in properties, a biomass boiler and two electric vehicle chargers.

Rhug Estate covers 12,500 acres in Denbighshire and 2,500 acres in Gwynedd. The capacity of the renewable energy schemes on the estate range from 4KW to 1.2MW and generated electricity is either used on site or exported to the grid.

Lord Newborough, owner said, “The sustainable use of assets and natural resources has always been at the heart of everything we do at Rhug Estate. I have championed the highest standards of organic and sustainable farming for many years, protecting and enhancing the environment for future generations. We currently generate about 3,000MW of electricity per year. We also generate about 500MW per year of heat. This is enough to supply approximately 875 homes for the year. While we continually develop the company, we are being plagued by the lack of grid capacity. Something we are trying to bring to the attention of the Welsh Government.”

Rhug Energy Ltd has plans for installing air-source heat-pumps in another three properties on the Estate and the team are in the final stages of enabling another hydro scheme.

Estate Manager Emma Story, said, “Without Lord Newborough’s vision and drive none of Rhug’s renewable energy schemes would have happened. It’s great that we are already at a significant milestone with plenty of ideas for growth. Philip Hughes looks at the feasibility of new technologies as they emerge, and I’ve been focused on getting more out of what we already have. The main game-changer has been using a DIY tendering platform for selling our electricity. This has allowed us to track the energy market and put sites out to tender when we think we might gain the highest rates.”