Image: Keith Arkins.
Global renewables firm RES has unveiled a new a pipeline of solar projects in the UK and Ireland totaling over 1GW.
These projects – of which there are 23 – will use bifacial panel technology and range from 12MW to 120MW, with RES citing the increased efficiency of bifacial as the reasoning behind this.
It said the new era of solar it is planning is supported by the rapid fall in the cost of the technology, with the company having also secured planning consent for 230MW of solar capacity in Ireland in addition to the new projects.
The latest addition to this figure was the 105MW Ballymoneen solar farm in Co.Galway, which was approved in March.
Meanwhile, RES has also submitted plans for a 42MW solar farm in Devon, UK, which marks its first UK planning application for a solar project since 2015.
The company is now recruiting to support the work requried to bring the new portfolio through the planning system, with Karl O'Mullan, head of solar projects at RES, stating as demand for solar continues to grow, "we are making plans to expand our portfolio even further".
In December 2020, Octopus Renewables signed a three-year spares management contract with RES, which sees the latter supply inverter spares, having recently opened an operations and maintenance site in Exeter.