The Monarch has applied for planning permission for around 2,000 solar panels to be placed on horse grazing paddocks to provide zero-carbon energy for the 20,000 acre estate. Plans lodged with King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Council say the solar farm has been designed to “meet current and predicted future electricity demands of the Sandringham Estate” and comes after solar panels were placed on the roof of Sandringham House two years ago.
The solar panels, which will be placed across 2.3 hectares of land, will provide a combined total of 2.1MW of energy, which will be used by the estate and a small amount of additional capacity will also be exported to the grid. The facility, which will mainly supply Sandringham House, the Visitor Centre and the Sawmill, is expected to “have an operational lifespan of 40 years” and the field would then be returned to horse grazing.
The application states that the solar system has been specified to deliver 1.9MW per year to “meet the majority of the Estate’s electricity demand.” It adds: “Power will be sent from the power system to the Estate’s three principal power consumers (Sawmill, Visitor Centre and House) using existing infrastructure which, as part of the project, will be upgraded/adapted as required. The proposed development forms part of the Estate’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and promoting environmental practices and follows the installation of a small solar array to the roof of Sandringham House in 2022.”
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