“Many agricultural and food businesses are waking up to the benefits of solar energy and is a real growth market.”

MILLIONS of strawberries are being cooled and prepared for consumers using solar energy thanks to a Lincoln company.
Stow-based Freewatt has installed nearly 400 solar panels at two farms in Cambridgeshire that grow and pack strawberries.
The two systems, 93kW in total, cost £186,000 to install and the pay back period is likely to be around eight years.
The projects at two farms in Milton and Wisbech – both owned by Cambridgeshire County Council -  were awarded to Freewatt after a tender process.
The Conergy panels are ground mounted and the electricity is used to power the entire process from washing to packing.
The strawberries are grown in poly-tunnels on the farm estates and need to be cooled before they can be shipped to supermarkets, farm shops and food manufacturers.
More than 40 tonnes of CO2 will be saved by the installation. It is the third solar project completed by Freewatt in the county.
Even during rainy September the farmers were reporting they were generating enough electricity to power the whole operation.
Freewatt managing director Julian Patrick said the farming and food sector was becoming a key driver in producing clean solar energy.
“Many agricultural and food businesses are waking up to the benefits of solar energy and is a real growth market,” he said.
“The profile of solar energy production and energy use fit together extremely well and the rates of returns for businesses in these sectors are very good.
“It’s also nice to think that energy from the sun is helping to bring the iconic fruit of the summer to people’s tables in perfect condition.”