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SOLAR Β· OPERATIONAL

Melbourn Black Peak

Melbourn Black Peak is a 19 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
Project stageOperating
  1. PlanningAug 2014 (completed)
  2. ConsentedDec 2014 (completed)
  3. ConstructionDec 2014 (completed)
  4. OperatingMar 2015 (current stage)
  5. Closed (not yet reached)

Planning dates from the Renewable Energy Planning Database; operating status from DUKES table 5.11.

Key facts

Installed capacity
19 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
SG8 7ND
Coordinates
52.0782, 0.0489

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 Melbourn Black Peak compares

60th of 662largest solar farms in the UK register
19th of 76in East of England
0.34%of listed UK solar farms capacity
β‰ˆ 17 GWhillustrative output a year

At a typical UK load factor for this technology (about 10% of the maximum possible output), a 19 MW station would generate roughly 17 GWh of electricity in a year, similar to the annual use of about 6,150 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 Investments

Nearby generating sites

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
Black Peak Farm
Developer / operator
Lightsource Renewable Energy
Planning authority
South Cambridgeshire
Planning reference
S/1902/14/FL
Application submitted
7 August 2014
Permission granted
15 December 2014
Construction started
30 December 2014
Began operating
25 March 2015
Capacity in planning record
31.8 MW
Address
Black Peak Farm, Fowlmere Road, Melbourn, Royston, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, SG8 7PJ
REPD reference
2219

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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