Subsidy-free bifacial solar PV-plus-storage project completed in England

December 19, 2019
LinkedIn
Twitter
Reddit
Facebook
Email
#SmartSolarStorage2020: GRIDSERVE said its new solar-plus-storage site is the first in the UK to include bifacial PV modules and single-axis trackers, as well as being unsubsidised. Image: GRIDSERVE.

Renewables developer GRIDSERVE has completed a “game changing” hybrid solar-plus-storage farm in York, UK, claiming it to be the first in the country to boast single-axis trackers and bifacial panels.

The site combined 37.4MWp of Suntech bifacial modules with 27MW of energy storage, using Nextracker single-axis trackers to shift the site’s generation portfolio into more beneficial hours.

The project is thought to be the most northerly combination of the two cutting edge technologies – bifacial panels and trackers – and the site ‘stacks’ a number of revenue streams in order to be financially feasible without subsidy support.

Toddington Harper, chief executive at GRIDSERVE, said that subsidy-free projects such as this demonstrate that the UK is capable of meeting its net zero obligations “well before 2050”.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

As we kick off the New Year, Energy-Storage.news and PV Tech will be talking #SmartSolarStorage2020. Use the official hashtag on your social media channels to join and follow the conversation.

To read the full version of this story, visit PV Tech.

Additionally, an in-depth project overview is included in PV Tech Power volume 21, published earlier this week. The journal, including that feature-length profile of the project, can be downloaded here (free, with some subscription details required).

15 September 2026
San Diego, USA
You can expect to meet and network with all the key industry players again in 2025 from major US asset owners, operators, RTOs and ISOs, optimizers, software and analytics providers, technical consultancies, O&M technology providers and more.

Read Next

February 11, 2026
Energy storage developer NineDot Energy closes US$431 million in construction financing for New York BESS projects. Meanwhile, US energy efficiency and renewables company Ameresco completes multiple tax credit transfer and financing transactions for solar PV and BESS.
February 11, 2026
Netherlands-based iron-air long-duration energy storage (LDES) startup Ore Energy has completed a grid-connected pilot of its 100-hour iron-air LDES system at EDF Lab les Renardières in France.
Premium
February 11, 2026
Owner-operator Fidra Energy came out of virtually nowhere to be building one of Europe’s largest BESS in the UK, the 1.4GW/3.1GWh Thorpe Marsh project. We catch up with CEO Chris Elder, about its strategy and projects but also broader BESS and clean energy financing trends.
February 10, 2026
South Korean battery and electronics materials manufacturer Samsung SDI and South Korean state-utility Korea East-West Power (EWP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop and invest in global energy storage systems (ESS) and renewable energy projects.
February 10, 2026
Energy infrastructure platform Revera Energy has completed an expanded US$150 million credit facility to accelerate development and construction of its battery storage, solar, and green hydrogen project pipeline across Australia and the UK.