Goonhilly Solar
Goonhilly Solar is a 4.51 MW solar farm in South West England, operated by RES Group. The UK government lists it as operational in its register of power stations (DUKES table 5.11, May 2025).
- PV
- South West
- England
Key facts
- Installed capacity
- 4.51 MW
- Status
- Operational
- Technology
- Solar Β· PV
- Operator
- RES Group
- Region
- South West
- Country
- England
- Grid connection (DUKES)
- LV
- Combined heat & power
- No
- Postcode
- TR12 7BA
- Coordinates
- 50.0465, -5.2180
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 Goonhilly Solar compares
At a typical UK load factor for this technology (about 10% of the maximum possible output), a 4.51 MW station would generate roughly 4.0 GWh of electricity in a year, similar to the annual use of about 1,460 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 South West All run by RES GroupNearby generating sites
- Goonhilly Downs Wind Farm Β· 12 MW onshore wind farm1.3 km
- Little T Β· 5.44 MW solar farm10.8 km
- Nancrossa Β· 6.86 MW solar farm13.0 km
- Roskrow Barton Β· 1.7 MW onshore wind farm15.8 km
- Pencoose Β· 8.14 MW solar farm17.3 km
- Higher Trenhayle Β· 2.93 MW solar farm18.9 km
- Churchtown Farm Solar Β· 4.99 MW solar farm21.9 km
- Wheal Jane Β· 1.42 MW solar farm22.3 km
Also operated by RES Group
RES Group operates 98 sites in the register. Largest first:
- Beinneun Wind Farm Β· onshore wind farm109 MW
- Cumberhead Wind Farm Β· onshore wind farm50 MW
- Hill of Towie Wind Farm (GB) Β· onshore wind farm48.3 MW
- Crossdykes Wind Farm Β· onshore wind farm48 MW
- Blary Hill Β· onshore wind farm35 MW
- Tormywheel Β· onshore wind farm30.8 MW
- Garreg Llwyd (GB) Β· onshore wind farm30.4 MW
- Solwaybank Β· onshore wind farm30.4 MW
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
- Goonhilly Downs - PV
- Developer / operator
- Wardell Armstrong International Ltd
- Planning authority
- Cornwall
- Planning reference
- PA11/00559
- Application submitted
- 27 January 2011
- Permission granted
- 24 May 2011
- Construction started
- 1 November 2013
- Began operating
- 19 March 2014
- Capacity in planning record
- 4.5 MW
- Address
- Bonython Estate Cury Cross Lanes Helston Cornwall, Cornwall, TR12 7BA
- REPD reference
- 1543
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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