The British Army has commissioned a new ground-mounted solar PV installation at Larkhill Garrison in Wiltshire, which is expected to generate around 1.7 GWh of electricity annually.
The installation covers 2.5 hectares and includes more than 4,000 PV panels. The excess electricity will be exported via a private wire network serving Bulford, Tidworth and Perham Down military camps.
Major General AJ Smith CBE, Director of Bases & Infrastructure and Army Sustainability Champion, said: “This project shows what is possible when we invest in practical, scalable renewable energy. By increasing our green energy supply, we are building an Army estate that is more sustainable, resilient and better able to support operational capability.”
The project is part of the Army’s Project Prometheus programthat deploys rooftop and ground-mounted solar PV systems at suitable locations across the Army’s estate. It was delivered by Aspire Defense Services on behalf of the Defense Infrastructure Organization (DIO).
So is the Ministry of Defense worked with Great British Energy to deploy solar energy across all its sites.
The commissioning follows an expansion of solar capacity at Larkhill this year with the addition of the ground-mounted array and four rooftop PV installations.
James Clare, director of energy, environment and infrastructure at the Ministry of Defence, said: “This project demonstrates the practical benefits of investing in scalable energy solutions. By increasing our renewable energy capacity, we reduce costs, increase the resilience of estates and support a more sustainable and operationally effective estate.”
The Army said the increased PV capacity allowed the garrison to become energy self-sufficient for 73 days during peak daylight hours, while exporting excess electricity to Bulford Camp.
In 2023, the The British Army has commissioned a 3,000-panel solar PV farm at the Duke of Gloucester Barracks in South Cerney. The 1.1 hectare installation became the Defense Estate’s third operational solar site and was expected to generate around a third of the barracks’ electricity demand, contributing to an estimated annual saving of £250,000 across the three operational sites.
The project was completed by sustainable energy installer 3ti. It followed the Army’s first solar farm, a 2.3MW installation at the Defense School of Transport in Leconfield, completed by Centrica Business Solutions in 2021, and the Baker Barracks solar project on Thorney Island, which was completed by 3ti in February 2022.
