On Friday and Saturday (July 3 & 4) locations across the UK will be opening their doors to the public to celebrate solar energy and showcase its potential.
As part of the Solar Trade Association’s (STA) ‘Solar Independence Day’ (#SolarIndependence) celebrations Scotland’s leading solar provider Forster Energy is facilitating on-site solar viewings/talks at two venues - a farm in Perthshire and a National Trust for Scotland estate in Aberdeenshire.
Forster is the leading provider of solar for house builders farmers and businesses in Scotland. It leads the way in solar best practice, and with 25 years of roofing experience, it now covers one in five of Scotland’s new homes. Forster Group Chairman John Forster is the Chair of, and was instrumental in, creating the new Scottish STA committee and working groups, which seeks to act as a strong voice for solar in Scotland - advising and developing policy with the Scottish Government while raising awareness of solar benefits nationally.
“Solar Independence Day presents a great opportunity for individuals, businesses, charities and community groups to find out more about the potential for solar” said John. “By attending one of our events across the UK you can see and hear firsthand how solar presents a fantastic opportunity for consumers to generate their own flexible, cheap and clean energy supply.”
Cronan Farm in the heart of Strathmore is the venue for the first event on Friday morning. The MJ & J McLaren broccoli and potato enterprise installed a 720 panel solar array to provide power for the farms cold stores. The installation exemplifies the appetite for solar amongst Scottish farmers, keen to reduce their energy costs by generating their own electricity.
The National Trust for Scotland’s beautiful Pitmedden Gardens provide an idyllic setting for the second event on Saturday morning. The NTS has installed a 115 panel array on the roof of the gardeners storage shed, which is generating power for the Museum of Farming Life and other buildings at the stunning Aberdeenshire garden. In fact the solar array is generating enough electricity to power six homes. The Trust is rolling out solar across a number of their sites to help reduce their energy costs and cut their carbon emissions.
Come and join us at either or both events to find out more about the potential for solar.
- Cronan Farm, Coupar Angus, Blairgowrie, Perthshire PH13 9EX, on Friday 3 July @ 10am and 11am.
- Pitmedden Garden, Pitmedden, Ellon, Aberdeenshire AB41 7PD, on Saturday 4 July @ 11am and 12noon.
Murdo Fraser MSP for Mid Scotland & Fife is scheduled to be attending the 11am viewing at Cronan farm and Lewis Macdonald MSP for North East Scotland is scheduled to be attending the 11am viewing at Pitmedden Garden.
You can pre-register for either event on Eventbrite by using the following links:
The theme of the event follows the Solar Trade Association’s recent publication of its ‘Solar Independence Plan for Britain’. CEO Paul Barwell said “Our Solar Independence Plan sets out how the new government can double the amount of solar and get solar as cheap as fossil fuel electricity by 2020, for a very modest amount of extra funds.
Scotland is already a strong advocate of solar with 35,000 homes and 600 businesses currently benefitting from solar technology.
Click here to view a map and details of all the ‘Solar Independence Day’ events being held across the UK.,