The £1 million scheme has been constructed on the personal land of Professor Tony Marmont, a local man who has led a trust for over 20 years that supports areas such as renewable energy innovation and education. 

As part of the scheme, the house and land on West Beacon Farm has been developed and converted to demonstrate an integrated sustainable renewable energy generation network, which provides independence from fossil fuels and nationwide distribution networks, as well as significantly enhancing the natural ecology of the 50-acre rural farmstead. The scheme will generate up to 1 megawatt of electricity, with profits from the new farm going to charity, including research into Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Parkinson’s Disease after the sad passing of Tony’s wife, Angela, four years ago.

The work on the new Solar Farm has been undertaken by Equans and project managed by Dulas Ltd with valuable support from Charnwood Borough Council, the local planning authority for the area. In the UK, Equans’ 13,500 employees work to help businesses, public sector organisations and government to embrace the energy transition towards net zero.

Barry Tayburn, Renewables Director at Equans, said: “We’re delighted to have completed work on this turnkey solar farm, on behalf of Tony and his Charitable Trust. It has been truly humbling to work with Tony, and witness first-hand the Trust’s dedication to leaving a legacy for future generations."