• Parc Dyffryn will comprise a 65 MW Solar PV (which stands for photovoltaic) Farm, which is a series of rows of solar panels (similar to those commonly found on a house roof) mounted just off the ground on a frame and tiled either south or east-west, that convert energy in the form of light from the sun and turn it into electricity.
• The electricity the panels generate is passed to a substation and then the local distribution network, or ‘grid’, via the power lines that cross the site and is then used in our homes and businesses.
• Parc Dyffryn will also have a 30MWh energy balancing unit to store any surplus electricity the panels generate during daylight hours. This electricity can then be released at other times when it is needed to meet consumer demand and avoid the need for high carbon generation to be turned on.

• The world is changing – we are in a global climate and biodiversity emergency, while electricity demand in the UK is set to potentially double from 308 up to 627 TWh between 2019 and 2050. This increase is led by electrification of transport and heating, which rely heavily on fossil fuels (oil and gas) currently.
• We need more electricity from sources that minimise carbon production and protect biodiversity, such as Solar PV.
• The site at Parc Dyffryn will supply electricity to the local distribution network by connecting to the overhead power lines that cross Vianshill Farm.
• Parc Dyffryn will produce 682.5Gw of electricity every year, that’s the equivalent total power required for over 20,000 homes each year.
• The A48 is a key commuting route from the Vale of Glamorgan to Cardiff. Congestion charging for cars entering Cardiff is being considered. The site would provide a convenient location for electric vehicle charging and eco-friendly community parking (and potentially autonomous vehicles charging) in the future.

• On land at Vianshill Farm, just outside Cardiff located to the south of the A48 between The Downs and St Nicholas.
• Solar PV panels must be placed in an area where there will be access to as much daylight as possible as the sun moves from East to West. South Wales has some of the best solar resource in terms of irradiance in the UK.

• Parc Dyffryn will be delivered by Wales’ leading edge renewable energy specialist Cenin Renewables. Visit ceninrenewables.co.uk to see some examples of its previous, ground-breaking work across Wales
• The land is part of the Coedarhydyglyn Estate and forms part of Vianshill Farm, which is farmed by a local tenant.
• The project is being developed in partnership by the Coedarhydyglyn Estate and Cenin Renewables Limited.

The site will be in complete darkness at night with no security lighting.

• Regular updates will be posted on our website (parcdyffryn.com) and via our Instagram (@ParcDyffryn) profile. Any questions can be directed to nextgeneration@parcdyffryn.com and a member of our team will always be happy to help.

• Solar panels produce electricity when there is daylight (it does not need to be sunny). The energy balancing units (advanced batteries) will store any excess electricity generated during the day (when demand is low) to provide additional power during peaks in demand and over the night-time.

• Planning permission is expected in 2023.
• The project is expected to be completed in 2024;
• The construction will be in two phases with the first one being the installation of the fencing, after the fence is completed it is expected that there will be a break before the main site build takes place
• The main build will take around 6 months. During this time a site manager’s contact details will be circulated to you so that if you have any issues you can make direct contact.

• The Solar PV panels will be arranged either in a series of east to west rows and tilted south at an angle of about 25 degrees or a series of squares with ridges and valleys running north-south and sides tilted east west (like a traditional tent). In either case the panels will be no more than 3 metres off the ground at their highest point.
• The solar panels are relatively low, so views of the landscape will not be obscured. The solar panels are designed to absorb light as much as possible and so are dark in colour and reflect very little.
• The Energy balancing unit will be screened from view as part of a comprehensive landscaping scheme for the site.
• A new substation will be needed for the project. This will be positioned near the base of one of the existing pylons on the site to minimise its visual impact and screened from view as part of a comprehensive landscaping scheme.

• This project will be delivered with key consideration given to protect biodiversity on the land.
• Agricultural land tends to be relatively species poor and therefore low biodiversity. Any biodiversity interest is usually found within the fields margins in hedgerows and woodland. All of these features will be retained as part of the development and the margins between the fencing around the panels and hedgerows allowed or encouraged to grow naturally – supporting more species and biodiversity as a result.
• Cenin Renewables will be consulting with Quality, Safety, Health and Environmental specialists throughout the project to ensure every requirement is met.

• This project will be delivered with key consideration given to protecting the existing biodiversity on the land. We aim to intertwine energy generation and agriculture; parts of the site will include sheep grazing under the panels. Please see our previous work on projects such as Home Farm which demonstrates our commitment to allowing natural environments to flourish – and Parc Dyffryn will be no exception.

• We are committed to ensuring all of the new pathways created are as accessible as possible for anyone with mobility issues, ensuring access to the site is available to all.

• There will be very limited activity on site once the Solar PV Farm is live, limited to, on average, no more than one or two persons working on site for a day six times a year.

• Construction traffic would access the site from the A48 via existing access points that will be improved as necessary in consultation with the local and trunk road authorities.

• The energy created by the development will pass into a substation and then the local distribution network (or ‘grid’) via the power lines that currently cross the site. This energy will then be used to power our local homes and businesses.

• Signs will be placed along the route and updated through the Seasons so that points of interest in both the Parc Dyffryn Scheme and the natural environment are explained.