Solar, so good - Glastonbury catches the sun

Worthy Farm, home of Glastonbury Festival, will soon also play host to the UK’s largest private solar electricity system. Festival organiser Michael Eavis is set to invest in 1,500 square metres of solar panels, which will generate the same amount of power annually as used by 40 homes. The 1,100 solar panels will sit atop the barns which are home to the Worthy Farm herd while the Festival is on. On a clear, sunny day, the panels are expected to generate some 200kW of power. Any power which isn't used on the farm will be exported to the National Grid.Because solar panels create clean electricity, the Worthy system will save around 100 tonnes of CO2 a year (equivalent to the total annual footprint of 10 people in the UK).Michael Eavis said "It's a very exciting project for us. We first had renewable energy at the Festival in 1979 and we've been trying to increase it ever since. We want the Festival, and the farm, to be as green as they can be. The solar panels will make a huge contribution towards that."Work will begin to install the panels on August 1, as long as planning permission is granted and surveys confirm that the barn roof is strong enough to hold the panels.www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk