Commitment to sustainable farming

The UK’s leading solar energy generator, Lightsource Renewable Energy, will showcase its commitment to the future of farming at the NSA Sheep Event 2014.

Lightsource will harness the Worcestershire sunshine to power the NSA’s sheep shearing tent, demonstrating how solar energy and sheep farming can work in unison to create a more sustainable future.

The firm will provide solar panels which will take pride of place in the specially created renewable energy area and will be used to power the sheep shearing competition tent at the event, held at the Three Counties Showground, on July 30th.

Solar energy provides the perfect opportunity for farmland diversification as the installation of a solar farm does not mean that the land will lose its agricultural use. A series of workshops will be hosted by Lightsource for sheep farmers interested in ground-based panels that sheep can graze between.

A typical solar farm occupies less than 30% of the allocated land, leaving large grassy avenues between the rows of solar panels, which means the remaining 70% can still be used for agricultural use. In most cases Lightsource can design the solar farm to fit in with the current stocking density of the area.

Conor McGuigan, Business Development Director at Lightsource, said: “Solar farms are one of the most passive energy technologies to implement and can sit happily amongst both wildlife and grazing animals.

"Installation is quick and at the end of the solar farm’s life, the steel foundations are pulled out of the ground easily with no lasting damage to the land, which makes solar farms a truly viable option for farmland diversification.

"All of our solar farms are designed with a land management plan which prioritises farming activities. Lightsource champions the local rural economy and we are proud to be involved in the NSA Sheep event and demonstrates how solar energy can support existing agricultural traditions. You will also be treated to a free ice-cream if you visit our stand and learn about solar power.”

Free ice-creams will be handed out at Lightsource’s exhibitor stand to help visitors cool-off – so be sure to call in for your free ice-cream voucher on the day.

Managing over 4000 acres of farmland that has been diversified with solar power, Lightsource Renewable Energy is the UK’s leading solar energy generator operating the largest portfolio of commercial scale solar PV assets on ground and roof space in Britain.

Founded in 2010, the company’s in-house team of over 250 professionals have achieved an unrivalled track record across the UK.

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Notes to Editors:

The NSA Sheep Event is a biennial event organised by The National Sheep Association and will be held at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern on Wednesday 30th July 2014.

Issued by: Hannah Lloyd, Pinstone Communications, T: 01568 617 627 E: [email protected]

Further information: W: http://www.sheepevent.org.uk or contact Hannah at Pinstone Communications. If you are interested to be informed about press attendance nearer the event, please get in touch with Pinstone.