propertytalk Live!

Nine out of 10 (92%) of landowners polled by Knight Frank at the CLA Game Fair said they were considering some form of renewable electricity generation schemes on their estate.

Eight in 10 (80%) said the introduction of the renewable energy feed-in tariff had encouraged them to investigate renewable energy schemes.

Wind power was the most popular form of renewable generation, with 56% of respondents saying they would consider putting turbines on their land.

Solar photovoltaic was considered an option by 52% while 28% were interested in hydro schemes and 24% in anaerobic digestion.

Christopher Smith, head of Knight Frank’s Renewables and Energy department, said: "The results of our survey confirm the appetite of rural landowners for renewable electricity generation. They also show how successful the introduction of renewable energy feed-in tariffs has been in encouraging people to invest in renewable schemes.

"Of the people we questioned only 8% currently generate renewable electricity on their estates, now we have FITs almost 100% are planning to get involved in some sort of way.

"Because FIT tariffs are guaranteed for up to 25 years they offer landowners a long-term income generation stream. For many estates that have seen their agricultural incomes fall sharply, renewable energy will completely transform their balance sheets.

"On one estate that I looked at two modest 275kw wind turbines will increase the annual income from £150/acre to £400/acre.

"Renewable energy also offers the potential for pension planning. One client, for example, is considering investing his pension pot in a photovoltaic scheme that will cost £350,000, but will generate an annual income of £35,000.

"I believe that renewable energy will become an increasingly common revenue generator on rural estates as almost every estate can benefit in some way."

Have your say on this story using the comment section below

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites