Solar farm planned for St Clement by Jersey Electricity

The panels would sit on a 12-acre site

Plans for Jersey's first ground-mounted solar farm have been announced.

Jersey Electricity wants to put panels on a 12-acre site at St Clement fields, as part of a series of similar projects.

The company said it was looking to install a series of "strategically placed" ground-based solar developments on "carefully selected sites close to grid connections" within a few years.

It said this would generate power for 1,500 homes each year.

It added that the development on land south of Rue du Moulin à Vent would be screened by new hedges and trees.

Jersey Electricity has so far focused on bringing roof-based solar on to the grid with four installations on its Power Station, Queen's Road Solar Hub, Jersey Dairy and Woodside Farm.

Chris Ambler, the company's CEO, said: "There is a desire for Jersey to be more energy independent and we believe that ground-mounted solar PV can now play an increasing and valuable role as part of Jersey's energy mix and sovereignty".

He said the site already benefits from established natural screening, and that they planned to plant more than 900 new native hedgerow plants to enhance that.

The panels typically take up 15% of the site and it would remain in agricultural usage, initially being laid to grass for grazing, he added.

The proposal will be on view on Tuesday 19 July from 10:00 (BST) until 18:00 at Caldwell Hall.

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