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Benbole

Solar power plant in England, United Kingdom. Approximate location 50.5401, -4.7826.

SolarEnglandUnited KingdomPV

Benbole is a 2 MW solar power plant in England, United Kingdom. It is operated by Mr John Brown. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 850 homes (estimated). It ranks #2341 of 2,860 United Kingdom power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2011, it is around 15 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, solar supplies about 6.6% of United Kingdom's electricity; the national grid averages 217 gCO₂/kWh (64.4% low-carbon) (2025).

2Source-backed capacity
850homes powered (est.)
2011commissioned (~15 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GBR0001035.

Data status

Known data

FacilityBenbole WRI
CountryUnited Kingdom · England WRI
Coordinates50.5401, -4.7826 WRI
FuelSolar WRI
MW installed capacity2 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerMr John Brown WRI
Commissioned2011 WRI
TechnologyPV WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#2341 of 2860 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1034 of 1170 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.40× · 5 MW median · 1170 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent850 calculated
Climate10.3°C · HDD 2,790 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 30/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is a source-verified 2026 capacity claim: 2 MW for Benbole Farm solar farm.

Source: GEM tracker raw 2026. Scope: operating/nameplate; source-backed GEM tracker 2026 plant record. Confidence: high_source_row_verified.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000825134); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 2 MW, Benbole is below the median solar plant in United Kingdom (5 MW). Technically it is described as PV. Solar PV converts sunlight directly into electricity with no moving parts or fuel; output varies by time of day and weather, so it pairs with storage or flexible backup.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Capacity vs largest solar plants in United Kingdom

Shotwick: 72 MW72ShotwickMOD Lyneham: 70 MW70MOD LynehamWest Raynham: 50 MW50West Raynh…Snarlton Farm (Melksham solar farm): 50 MW50Snarlton F…Eveley: 49 MW49EveleyOwl's Hatch Solar Park: 48 MW48Owl's Hatc…Southwick Estate: 48 MW48Southwick …Landmead Farm (East Hanney): 46 MW46Landmead F…

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Mr John Brown.

Local climate & thermal context

This solar plant converts sunlight directly into electricity with photovoltaic panels. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 50.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

10.3°Cannual mean temp
2,790heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
116 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 6 °CJF: 6 °CFM: 7 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 11 °CMJ: 14 °CJJ: 16 °CJA: 16 °CAS: 14 °CSO: 11 °CON: 9 °CND: 7 °CD16 °C

Heating degree-days here run 14% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 57/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Solar PV loses ~0.35%/°C above 25°C cell temperature — roughly 0.0% at warm-season highs here (estimate).

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
30/100environmental-severity index
10.0°Cseasonal temperature swing
28 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #1034 largest solar power plant of 1170 in United Kingdom by capacity.

United Kingdom has 1170 solar power plants in this dataset, together about 8,703 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 50.5401, -4.7826 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Benbole?

Benbole is a 2 MW source-record solar power plant in England, United Kingdom, commissioned in 2011.

How many homes can Benbole power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 850 homes (estimated).

Who operates Benbole?

Benbole is operated by Mr John Brown.

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