Thames Water to become Britain’s biggest solar power generator

August 2011: Thames Water is aiming to become Britain’s biggest on-site solar power producer after signing a deal to install photovoltaic systems large enough to cover 15 football pitches at three key sites in London. A 450kW array of solar panels, commissioned last week at Beckton (Newham), will generate 385 MWh a year on average, while 150kW arrays installed at Crossness (Bexley) – where a 2.5MW wind turbine is also planned to be installed –  and Walton will each generate 133 MWh a year on average, enough to power 140 average-sized homes.
Once the Crossness array is expanded to its full potential of 1,700 kW, it will generate an additional 1,400 MWh a year on average. And once the Walton array is expanded to its full potential of 3,000 kW, it will generate an additional 2,500 MWh per year.