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BSR chosen to manage pioneering community solar park


Westmill takes BSR’s portfolio of solar under management to 536MW

BSR, the leading low carbon service provider, has been appointed to manage Westmill Solar Park, the pioneering community-owned solar project, the companies announced today.

Westmill, near Watchfield, Oxfordshire, was the first community-owned solar park in the UK and the world’s largest when it launched. The co-operative chose BSR to manage the 5MW project following a competitive tender, and the contract began this month, when BSR initiated a thorough review of the plant to optimise performance.

Martin Allman, Director at Westmill Solar Co-operative, says: “We are delighted to have BSR working with us to maintain the excellent performance of our wonderful solar farm. BSR have demonstrated a commitment to achieving high standards of quality and value for money on many other solar farm sites. Their team recognise the unique nature of our project and their passion for community energy is clear.”

The Westmill solar farm was constructed in 2011 and taken over by the Co-operative in 2012. More than 5,000 community groups have launched energy projects in the last five years and many of the largest will be going to tender in the coming months.

BSR is one of the leading providers of solar O&M services in the UK.  Through a combination of hard work, technical know-how, professionalism and transparency, their dedicated and experienced team have been able to develop their offering to meet the requirements of both commercial and community projects alike.

“We are extremely passionate about driving measurable cost and efficiency benefits for community energy. Our unique approach will go beyond business-as-usual to ensure Westmill retains its revered industry position,” says Graham Harding, MD at BSR. “This is a flagship project for us and we’re excited for the opportunity to further demonstrate the value we are able to add to community energy projects which are an increasingly important part of the UK energy market.”

BSR operates and manages nearly 6% of the UK’s utility-scale solar power and Westmill takes its portfolio to 536MW across 50 solar parks.

Westmill is an energy-cooperative, and all 1,500 members benefit from a share in project revenues and have a say in how it is run. The solar farm saves up to 2,000 tonnes of CO2 a year by generating enough clean renewable electricity to power two nearby villages (Watchfield and Shrivenham).

 

About BSR Group

Our mission is to create the smart energy systems we need for a low-carbon future. We build, connect and manage utility-scale solar and energy storage projects for developers and investors in the UK and internationally.

  • BSR EPC delivers engineering, procurement and construction services to solar and energy storage projects. It has built 500MW of solar in the UK including the four largest solar parks.
  • BSR Connect connects all types of energy generation and other projects to the electricity network. It has connected more than 520MW of solar power in the UK, including a number of 132kV high voltage systems.
  • BSR O&M operates and manages a 536MW portfolio of 50 solar parks in the UK, 6% of the country’s utility-scale solar power.
  • BSR Energy is a developer of energy infrastructure projects in the UK specialising in large scale energy storage projects.
  • Omnio is a partnership between BSR and Chris Curry, founder and Managing Director, focused on the provision of energy storage solutions for businesses.