UK: Ecotricity pushing hybrid energy park concept

Hybrid renewable energy parks combine wind and sun generation in the same project, in the same place, using the same grid connection – a more efficient, rounded approach to green energy generation in Britain. Ecotricity plans to add sun parks to two existing wind parks in Devon and Lincolnshire, and add a third to a wind park currently being built in Leicestershire¹. 

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said:  “Hybrid renewable energy parks are a great idea – the two power sources are complementary and what you get in combination is a more consistent energy supply; it may sound obvious, but when there’s less sun in the winter, there’s typically more wind, and vice versa in the summer months – so putting wind and sun together has a big impact. It’s the future of renewable energy in Britain,and we need more of them, but currently the government has rigged the market infavour of fossil fuels. That’s why we’re calling on the Conservatives to level the playing field for energy generation in Britain – to remove the subsidies for fossil fuels just as they have done for wind and solar power.

“Those stealth fossil fuel subsidies add up to £1000 a year for each household; compare that to just £100 a year for renewable energy, which now provides 25% of Britain’s electricity – that’s £100 well spent and a big part of the reason why we’re so confident that with a level playing field renewable energy would thrive.” 

The announcement follows Ecotricity’s launch of ecobond three, a radical funding mechanism that gives households the chance to share in the financial benefits of the Green Energy revolution. ecobond three will help to build six new green energy projects across Britain that are already under construction, including a nine-turbine wind park in Dalby, a windmill to power Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn and a sun park in Somerset.

The company is also making preparations to build what would be one of England’s biggest wind parks – up to 22 windmills at Heckington Fen in Lincolnshire, which could power up to 40,000 homes.

¹ The three new sunparks will add 15 MW of solar capacity, which could generate enough greenenergy each year to power the equivalent of almost 3,000 typical homes.