A care home has built a solar field to help relieve pressure off the national grid in the hope of becoming more self-sufficient.

Askham Village Community in Doddington has installed a 150kW solar photovoltaic system in a field adjacent to its care and rehab centres, enabling it to offset a large proportion of its daytime electrical consumption.

Aliyyah-Begum Nasser, director at Askham, said: “This project has been in the pipeline for a long time now, so we’re delighted to see it come to fruition."

The solar field was built by Optimeyes Energy alongside the Engenera Renewable Group and the Maximeyes Group as part of its decarbonisation strategy.

The new solar field, part of Askham’s 2021 sustainable goals, is projected to save them 800,000 kg/CO2 over the next 20 years.

The carbon saving system is made up of rows of ground-mounted solar modules, each with the capacity to provide up to 330w of electrical generation.

Aliyyah said: “While our new solar field will only occupy approximately 150m/2, it’s the size of the environmental impact which cannot be ignored.

“Self-generating our electricity will significantly decrease our overall carbon footprint and is the next step in our decarbonisation strategy.

“It’s important we play our part in helping the country become greener by taking some pressure off the national grid.”

Optimeyes and Engenera work with businesses, communities and organisations who want to reduce their carbon footprint and increase their environmental profile.

Miguel Matias, COO and co-founder of Optimeyes Energy, said: “Askham’s new system will incorporate battery storage to provide an integrated and optimised solution.

“This provides further protection and resilience against power cuts on-site.

“With various medical equipment within Askham, it is vital that the power is at all times available and supply uninterrupted."