Opus Energy announces 2,000th renewable energy generator

Like much of Scotland, Doune has an abundance of rivers; sources of great potential for hydropower generation. Hydropower generators use the never-stopping flow of water to generate electricity, turning natural power into a clean, efficient source of energy.

This kind of renewable generator provides a reliable source of energy. Where solar and wind powered generators require optimal weather conditions, hydropower (which utilises rivers or tides) is almost unfailingly consistent.

This was what prompted Mr Howard, landowner at Milton of Cambus Farm, to invest in a clean, environmentally-friendly project that brings the profits back home.

Mr Howard employed Opus Energy and developers babyHydro to install a hydropower generator on the fast flowing Annat Burn river. Day and night, the Annat Burn runs past the farm and generates electricity that powers the farm.

Any excess energy from this generation is then sold back to us at Opus Energy. Not only does this mean that Mr Howard is making profits with little to no effort, but he is also powering his farm in a more conscientious way. Further to this, it helps us at Opus Energy to provide renewable energy to our customers – anything we buy from our renewable generators gets passed back to our customers all over the UK.

The Annat Burn generator is a 500kW hydro system, and was fully commissioned in December 2015. Forecasters have analysed its production and predictions are saying that by December 2016 it should have generated 1,750 MHhs of power – that’s enough to power around 560 medium-sized UK homes.

The Milton of Cambus Farm hydro generator is just one of the projects that Opus Energy supports – from conception to production, currently 91% of the power we supply is renewable, and a generous chunk of that is bought from small businesses around the UK.

Tom Hoines, Head of Renewable Sales at Opus Energy, commented: “We know that more and more businesses are looking to source their energy from renewable, ethical sources. Our research has shown that 48% of businesses expect to be generating their own renewable energy within a two year timeframe.

“We are delighted that we are able to provide more renewable energy to our customers at competitive rates, and will continue to grow this part of our business for the foreseeable future.”