Drapers Farm
Drapers Farm is a 6 MW solar farm in East of England, England, operated by Octopus Investments. The UK government lists it as operational in its register of power stations (DUKES table 5.11, May 2025).
- PV
- East of England
- England
Key facts
- Installed capacity
- 6 MW
- Status
- Operational
- Technology
- Solar Β· PV
- Operator
- Octopus Investments
- Region
- East of England
- Country
- England
- Grid connection (DUKES)
- LV
- Combined heat & power
- No
- Postcode
- CM3 1QF
- Coordinates
- 51.8562, 0.4983
Location
Map position from the published coordinates. For small sites this can be an approximate point rather than the exact boundary. Map Β© OpenStreetMap contributors.
How Drapers Farm compares
At a typical UK load factor for this technology (about 10% of the maximum possible output), a 6 MW station would generate roughly 5.3 GWh of electricity in a year, similar to the annual use of about 1,950 homes at 2,700 kWh each. This is an illustrative estimate, not the station's metered output: real generation varies with weather, availability and grid constraints.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) sites generate electricity from sunlight. Panels produce direct current, which inverters convert to alternating current for the grid. Output follows daylight and the seasons, so annual generation is a small fraction of the maximum possible.
All UK solar farms Solar farms in East of England All run by Octopus InvestmentsNearby generating sites
- Cressing Β· 4.99 MW solar farm7.8 km
- Tooley Farm Β· 5 MW solar farm7.8 km
- The Hydes Β· 10.7 MW solar farm12.8 km
- Hill Hall Farm Β· 5 MW solar farm13.5 km
- Thaxted Β· 48 MW solar farm15.0 km
- Birch Estate Β· 5 MW solar farm21.1 km
- Outwood Β· 4.97 MW solar farm27.0 km
- Bradwell Β· 20.5 MW onshore wind farm27.5 km
Also operated by Octopus Investments
Octopus Investments operates 134 sites in the register. Largest first:
Planning history
From the government's Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD), matched to this site by location, capacity and name.
- Planning status
- Operational
- Site name in planning record
- Drapers Farm Solar Park
- Developer / operator
- Lightsource Renewable Energy
- Planning authority
- Uttlesford
- Planning reference
- UTT/13/0561/FUL
- Application submitted
- 15 March 2013
- Permission granted
- 7 June 2013
- Construction started
- 26 September 2013
- Began operating
- 30 March 2014
- Capacity in planning record
- 6 MW
- Address
- E/O Milch Hill Lane, Great Leighs, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 1QF, Essex
- REPD reference
- 1658
Source
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES), table 5.11: power stations in the United Kingdom β operational at end of May 2025.
Capacity is installed capacity as published, not current output. Status reflects the source date, not live operation.
View the original source
Last checked by Octary: 15 July 2026
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