Jersey Electricity (JE) is inviting parishioners to visit the consultation for the site on Mont Fondan on Wednesday 11 December at St Peter’s Parish Hall to discuss plans for the 2.5MegaWatt peak (MWp) ground-mount solar array. The installation will be set out over 2.7 hectares of low-grade land, which equates to 0.04% of land currently in agricultural use in Jersey.
Ground-mount solar sites export electricity back to the grid allowing the whole community to share in the benefits of locally-generated renewable energy, diversifying the Island’s energy mix, promoting the local economy and increasing Jersey’s energy security.
JE is a key partner in delivering the Government of Jersey’s Carbon Neutral Roadmap and the proposed solar development supports the government’s Island Plan and Energy Policy.
Around 200 sites in Jersey have been rigorously evaluated to check their suitability for ground-mount solar considering a range of criteria, but the vast majority are considered unsuitable and have fallen away as options.
The site will remain in agricultural use throughout the 40-year lifespan of the installation. Biodiversity is an important part of the proposed installation, with plans to set up a nursery to grow hedgerow whips on site. The Island imports all its hedgerows whips, which suffer a high failure rate during transportation and increases the risk of infectious diseases.
Mark Preece, Chief Operating Officer of Jersey Electricity, said:
“We invite St Peter’s parishioners to take the opportunity to learn more about ground-mount solar and view the site plans. Our team will be on hand to answer questions and listen to feedback. Consulting and listening to the local community on these solar developments is an important part of the process and will help to shape the planning submission, so I would encourage people to come along, find out more and share their ideas.
“Crucially we are adopting the very highest standards in the way we are assessing the suitability of sites to ensure that the facilities are built as sensitively as possible and in a way that can actually improve environmental sustainability. We consider the impact on the surrounding areas and neighbours and ensure we select sites where we can create significant ecological gains, such as growing whips for the benefit of the Island’s hedgerows, woodlands and farms. Locally grown whips reduces costs, increases survival rates and the onward planting creates improvements to the Island’s biodiversity and habitats.
“With the Island’s first ground-mount solar installation in St Clement due to be generating on-Island renewable power for the community early in 2025, and a second project starting construction in St John in the spring, we are taking positive steps in building Jersey’s energy sovereignty, diversifying our energy sources and promoting the local economy, in line with government’s Energy Plan and the Island’s net zero ambitions.
“JE aims to construct around six community solar farms to meet the energy system need for 25MW of locally generated solar renewables by the end of 2026, an equivalent annual energy production of around 5% of existing Island electricity demand.”
JE signs up to Planning Obligation Agreements for each site, meaning the site’s agricultural history will be honoured through farming methods that complement solar sites, such as growing apple orchards, livestock management, beehives and habitat management – all of which are a part of JE’s solar developments.
Ground-based solar is static and silent and the sites enhance the biodiversity of local flora and fauna, pollinators, birds and mammals. They are temporary structures that allow fields to be completely returned back to their current state at the end of the solar array’s life, in an improved condition, at which point the panels and structures are recycled.
The consultation will be open from 10am – 7pm at St Peter’s Parish Hall on Wednesday 11 December with JE’s solar team available to answer questions and explain the plans.
