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SOLAR Β· OPERATIONAL

The Breck

The Breck is a 5 MW solar farm in East Midlands 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 Midlands
  • England
Project stageOperating
  1. PlanningJul 2015 (completed)
  2. ConsentedOct 2015 (completed)
  3. ConstructionFeb 2016 (completed)
  4. OperatingMar 2016 (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
5 MW
Status
Operational
Technology
Solar Β· PV
Operator
Octopus Investments
Region
East Midlands
Country
England
Grid connection (DUKES)
LV
Combined heat & power
No
Postcode
S43 2NP
Coordinates
53.2803, -1.3667

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 The Breck compares

252nd of 662largest solar farms in the UK register
37th of 95in East Midlands
0.09%of listed UK solar farms capacity
β‰ˆ 4.4 GWhillustrative output a year

At a typical UK load factor for this technology (about 10% of the maximum possible output), a 5 MW station would generate roughly 4.4 GWh of electricity in a year, similar to the annual use of about 1,620 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 Midlands 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
Developer / operator
Lightsource Renewable Energy
Planning authority
Chesterfield
Planning reference
CHE/15/00460/FUL
Application submitted
31 July 2015
Permission granted
27 October 2015
Construction started
1 February 2016
Began operating
17 March 2016
Capacity in planning record
5 MW
Address
The Breck, Breck Lane, Barrow Hill, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S43 2NP
REPD reference
5520

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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