The number of large-scale solar farms is set to increase around the country over the next 10 years. As each one is planned, there is always a debate about use of land for renewables vs use of land for farming. While we also advocate for solar arrays on buildings and warehouses, this article explores the potential for a win-win situation where farming takes place underneath, or between the photovoltaic panels. This system is called agrivoltaics, and is more developed in other Western European countries and in the U.S. and East Asia than it is in the U.K.
Sustainable Hockerton commissioned Hockerton Housing Project Trading Limited (HHP) to explore the potential for a localised agrivoltaic pilot project. The research was funded by the Community Energy Fund (Midlands Hub) and HHP worked with agricultural consultant Stephen Briggs of Abacus Organic. We are seeking a lease from local farmer Simon Christy to run a pilot project next to the community wind turbine in Hockerton and use this sample site in our research.
Throughout our research, we have been in communication with Elements Green, who are leading on the public engagement around the 1-gigawatt Great North Road (GNR) Solar Project which is nearly on our doorstep. Our aim was to make them aware of the potential for food growing between the panels in case this can be factored into the GNR solar project.
Agrivoltaics systems can reduce the effect of over-drying and overexposure to sunlight in hot dry climates further south by providing much needed shade. However at our latitude we run the risk of insufficient light levels if crops are over-shielded by photovoltaic panels. Therefore we needed to explore which crops might work under such a system, and what would be the optimal spacing of the panels to allow for efficient solar capture as well as sufficient light for crops and ease of farming between them.
We are grateful to Stephen for his comprehensive and extensive review of different models for agrivoltaics and illustrative examples of how these models have been tested out with different crops in different climatic contexts. We discovered that PV panels are being developed for agricultural use on greenhouses, in open fields, and some are designed to rotate or tilt to allow tractors to pass; capture sunlight from both faces; or be translucent to enable light to pass through them.
Stephen also helped us to conclude what kind of agrivoltaics system and which crops might be best suited to our sample plot of land in Hockerton. Leafy greens or berries showed most potential.
These findings are available for download in Stephen Briggs’ report.
We have also produced a reference list of academic research on agrivoltaics, and an overview of pilot projects happening overseas and in the UK.
While there is a growing body of research on Big-Ag agrivoltaics projects, involving heavy inputs and large machinery, what we would be doing on the land in Hockerton would be much smaller scale and more suited to a market garden scale of agriculture. Small-scale food growers are often limited by the challenge of accessing land.
We noticed that while some of the bigger land owners are agreeing to lease their land to the Great North Road Solar Project (and therefore giving up on farming this land), there might be an opportunity for smaller-scale food growers to work the land between the panels without big machinery and using less environmentally impactful farming methods. Given that the margins are narrow, especially for tenant farmers, we modelled at what scale this could be feasible and which crops would suit such a system. Our findings are available here.
In the next phase of our work, we will be working with local farmer and landowner Simon Christy to seek planning permission to install a solar array on the fields next to our community wind turbine, and to design a community allotment or locally-owned soft fruit enterprise to run between the panels. Like the turbine, the plan would be for the community to buy shares in the array and for its benefits to feed into our village sustainability grant which is available year on year to each household to make their homes and gardens greener. We might also find we are eating more berries in our village!
For more information about our research, please get in touch.
We are excited to announce that we are launching an eco venue for celebrant-led micro ceremonies at Nottingham’s Green Festival this Sunday 14thSeptember!
This has been a vision of nearly two years in the making, since one of our newest members joined and trained as a celebrant.
We have a state-of-the-art eco building situated on the edge of the lakes in the heart of our community. This is where we run our sustainability consultancy business from and make plans for the year’s food growing. We invite visitors inside the building for tour presentations and Tai Ji classes, but we have often wondered how to make more of this beautiful room. Over the years, we have held community celebrations, winter solstice meditative dances and a memorial for one of our community member’s parents. This seeded a vision to transform the room into a ceremony space and open it up to the wider community to book.
Over the past few months, we have drawn on our mutual skills and resources to co-create a unique and affordable venue option for people to celebrate an important life event in an intimate, meaningful and low impact manner, led by our in-house celebrant.
As of 14th September 2025, we are taking bookings! Please note, we will be limiting this offer to six ceremonies a year, each with no more than 20 guests. Our brochure is available for download here. Please enquire about our terms and conditions and we’d be happy to answer any questions you have.
Amongst our community members we have an ex-florist, flower growers and confetti makers, event organisers, plenty of handy men and women, artists and a graphic designer so we may be able to provide you with a few of the additional elements of your celebration as well as hosting your ceremony itself.
The ceremonies will all be led by community member and celebrant Joy Justice. Read more about Joy’s ceremonies here.
Last week we had two work experience students with us. They have written up their experience in two journals which are available here and here. It was great having the two students who worked hard and achieved a lot outside in our organic growing area.
It is great to see young people being so enthusiastic about one of the most important aspects of our lives – food growing. We wish them every success in their future endeavours. Regenerative agriculture involving people within nature based solutions is key to our sustainable future.
House number 3 FOR SALE AVAILABLE NOW 2025
How to buy: Contact us.
A rare opportunity to buy an Eco-house in Hockerton Housing Project: Community living in an eco development, access to extensive outside space, food growing, low carbon energy supply, community building and resources, house and private garden with room for a family 4/5 bedrooms, on site work/income available, resilient against climate shocks, near to great schools and facilities, low impact living, talk to us now:
One of the most energy efficient homes in the UK, nestled in the rural village of Hockerton, near the bustling country town of Southwell and in the Hockerton Housing Project a world-renowned sustainable development. It sits in the heart of the community here. You can join the change with us. See “How to Join”
We all value clean air and a good place to live, specially to bring up children. An ideal place to grow up in as a child. This home offers a fantastic opportunity to live in a house fit for the future. Warm and comfortable living with built in resilience and community all around. The house space is flexible and full of light with a very spacious conservatory to the south.
BUY YOUR ECO HOME IN HOCKERTON
It is built based on the earth sheltered high mass designs of world renown architects Dr Robert and Prof Brenda Vale. This is a very rear chance to live the dream in a sustainable development. Price: £600 000
So how to buy this eco home 3 Gables Drive Hockerton. Please make enquiries via our email address contact@hockertonhousingproject.org.uk . We can send you the brochure, arrange a viewing and enable you to meet the neighbours. It will be available to move into from March 2025.
This home can align your values with your living space, it’s a house fit for the future. The garden overlooks the lake, spacious and teaming with wildlife. There is also the opportunity to join the community business and share the facilities; Wind turbines, PV systems and self-contained water works.
The local pub is just a short walk away. Southwell just over the hill and offers good schools, shops, restaurants and many other amenities within a thriving community.
As Simon said “This is the largest house in the development and offers the most space for a family. The super insulated earth sheltered design with an internal heat battery works very well indeed at keeping heating bills to a minimum and the environmental impact low. It is adaptable to a 4 or 5 bedroom home suitable for families. It would be an ideal place to grow up in!”
Full details available in the sale brochure upon request.
We are helping the owners sell this property so Contact us now before it’s gone to arrange a viewing and put your offer in.
Property Location:
3 Gables Drive, Hockerton, Southwell, Notts NG25 0QU.
Tenure: 999-year lease with annual peppercorn rent in perpetuity.
Price: £600 000 .
Eco homes or passive house or green houses come with many names but this is a very special opportunity!
Contact us now before it’s gone to arrange a viewing and put in your offer.
Describing Howgate Close as eco-homes is to understate its performance. Most notable are these five 2-bed homes and four 1-bed homes, all operate beyond zero carbon. They are on the outskirts of Eakring a rural village near Southwell/Ollerton in Nottinghamshire.
Design Origin Of Howgate’s Eco Homes
Hockerton Housing Project (HHP) design for the Eakring Eco Homes project, uses the design principles applied at HHP. The HHP’s Architects, are Professors Brenda and Robert Vale, The Vale’s. Check out HHP building standards and FAQ
These design principles were first published in The Vale’s 1975 book, ‘The Autonomous House’, and implemented at their former Southwell home, ‘The New Autonomous House’. It’s worth noting, that over 40 years later, The Vale’s design principles have been applied less than 7 miles from The Vale’s former home. To their credit, on July 27th, 1994, their Southwell home became the UK’s first dwelling to export photovoltaic-generated renewable energy to the National Grid.
“What makes the Eakring (Eco Homes) project truly exceptional is the unique combined experience of the HHP design team. A team that has twenty-four years of designing, constructing, maintaining, and servicing the UK’s largest collection of autonomous earth-sheltered buildings.”
Final Assessment Report
Compliance with Condition 12
Newark & Sherwood District Council
July 2019
Prior to construction, Dr Parsons undertook technical adjustments to the approved design raising the EPC Rating from a SAP Rating of 84 to 143.
Design Principles
Introduced in detail below, are Howgate’s design principles. Also provided is third-party verification of their performance via the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP).
Passive Solar Design Techniques
Intrinsic to the buildings performance, is the utilisation of the passive solar design principles pioneered by The Vale’s. HHP’s application of these techniques include;
- Southerly orientation
- High thermal mass superstructure
- Super-insulated envelope
- Renewable energy
- Solid external walls (no cavities)
- Floating slab (no foundations)
- Contiguous external insulated envelope (no cold bridging)
- Triple glazing
- Reduced reliance on mechanical ventilation
- Externally located window and door jambs (improved Psi values)Hot water demand at source (no stored hot water)
- Back-up electric underfloor heating
For the record, Dr. Parsons first conceived the idea of his replicable development solution in 2015. His intention was to resolve several local issues that have both national and global significance. He observed, a shortage of local affordable rural homes and a progressively diminishing bio-diversity in the surrounding Nottinghamshire countryside.
Eradication of the risk of fuel poverty was a priority for Dr Parsons while nurturing a conducive neighbourhood that mitigates greenhouse gas emissions. He succeeded in his aims. Additional aspects of the model comprise, taking 10 acres out of intensive arable farming, constructs nine homes for rent and installs 60KW’s of solar panels (142 panels) He’s also planting 10,000 trees and hedgerow, creating wildflower meadows, scrubland, and a wetland.
“..an opportunity to address some of society’s most pressing issues: rural housing shortages, climate change, soil restoration, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, water management, and community cohesiveness.”
Dr. Parsons
(as reported in CLA Magazine)
Furthermore, this Case Study demonstrates these eco homes are a viable alternative to conventional social housing and affordable homes. Equally important, they also deliver a new level of energy efficiency and carbon mitigation associated with Eco Homes or Zero Carbon Homes.
“Howgate Close epitomises the aims of the Councils De-Carbonisation Plan and would encourage more of the same.”
John Robinson
(CEO Newark & Sherwood District Council)
2023
Eco Homes Provide An Acceptable Return On Investment (ROI)
In evaluating the viability of Dr. Parsons model, it’s useful to refer to Howgate’s Return On Investment (ROI). Usefully, the model’s efficiency of investment is assessed on several levels; economic, carbon emissions, social and community integration.
First, at an economic level, Howgate achieves a 5% ROI with a 20-year payback period (Amortisation) using conventional financial performance measures.
Second, carbon emissions provide another performance metric with national and global implications. According to the nine Energy Performance Certificates (EPC’s), the homes collectively mitigate 16 tonnes of carbon emissions each year from their renewable energy generation. Adding a further 9 tonnes annually of carbon sequestration annually is the re-wilding of 9 acres. Consequently, the site’s Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) will likely exceed Natural England’s soon-to-be mandatory minimum 10% benchmark.
Furthermore, full financial benefits of the 60KW’s of roof-mounted photovoltaics are given to Howgate’s residents. Consequently, first 10 months’ energy bills, average less than £1 per day across all nine homes. 54pence/day as of 12th July 2023.
It should be noted that Dr Parsons investment returns at Howgate Close compare favourably to their financial cost.
Luke Jackson Eagle Building Specialists– Builder of Howgate Close
It was interesting to catch up with Luke to see how he found the challenge of the build we will be doing a more in-depth blog with Luke next, so this is just a taster.
“The general technology wasn’t a challenge as I was familiar with Hockerton Housing Project, it excited me. The lads working for me were far more sceptical it wasn’t until a winters day when the buildings were airtight that they started to appreciate how warm they were. In the end the proof was in the pudding as they say. In all honesty even I didn’t quite realise how efficient they would be!”
