Feature FSM


covenant strength to support the project. “The fact that the council is standing


behind the lease with Doncaster Rovers is clearly fantastically bankable,” Burrows said. “There is no direct financial benefit for the


council but they are a brilliantly easy council to deal with and they are very aware of the greater benefit and so didn't need one. It's a very multi-use stadium, lots goes on off- season in the evenings so the council is very involved in this stadium and didn't need a direct financial benefit which is fantastic." Speaking to Solar Power Portal last


week, Burrows went on to say that despite FiTs coming to an end in March 2019, the Keepmoat Stadium install is ‘proof of concept’ that subsidy-free projects are already possible. However, they will likely require public sector backing in order to be successful. “That is going to be the focus for subsidy-


ve £1m install


in the project. While Doncaster Rovers offered a stable offtaker for the PPA, as freeholder for the stadium Doncaster Borough Council provided exceptional


free projects in the first instance from Q2 next year. We will have to revert back to where bankability is particularly important again for a period of time. “I don't think it will be all that long


but you will need to have a public sector counterparty, or effectively underwritten by a public sector organisation such as in education.” Even with these circumstances, in which


blue chip companies are also a target despite bringing “their own challenges for C&I developers”, Burrows remains confident that the post-subsidy world for solar is already here and, more importantly, can be a success. “We want the investment community to


look at this and see that it works. Our debt providers Close Brothers are happy with it, we're happy, and our equity backers are happy with it. We want other potential PPA offtakers to look at this and see that they can still save. “Doncaster Rovers is going to save


£1 million with some pretty standard assumptions of RPI and electricity price rises. That's £1 million at no capital cost for a League One football club, and that's really exciting. It works; take note.”


Burrows also believes the success of this project, and those to come, offers a moment of reflection for the FiT regime. Despite the “political palavas” that have made up the subsidy’s history, Burrows says the completion of subsidy-free projects like that for Doncaster Rovers shows FiTs have, all things considered, been a success. “When they were launched in July 2009,


they were all about rendering themselves useless in the end. They were designed to create market forces and we are getting to where we were always supposed to be, and that gives me a real sense of warmth as an industry stalwart that it's worked. This really is proof of concept, [we can] replicate this and the reason why is the financial model works.” The Keepmoat Stadium project is among


the 67 entries shortlisted for 2018’s Solar Power Portal and Energy-Storage.News Awards, with the winners to be announced at a prestigious gala dinner ceremony by guest host, TV personality and design expert George Clarke.


In 2013 Oakapple Renewable Energy Ltd installed a 48.3 kWp solar array on the academy building at Leicestershire County Cricket Club. The system was fitted free of charge to the cricket club under a lease agreement. 210 x LDK 230 modules were installed alongside 3 x SMA ST 15000TL Inverters. The system was forecast to generate 46,381kWh of power annually, all available to be used on site by the Club.


The system is performing well over the predicted yields. In the period 1st April to 31st July the system has produced nearly half of the predicted power for the year, at 22,967 Kwh Saving a massive 12,415 Kg of CO2.


In monetary terms the club could save a huge £5,796.00 per year, based on a 12p/kWh energy cost from the grid. FSM 29


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