- Category
- Land-based / specialist
- Location
- Hartpury, Gloucestershire
- DNO
- NGED (formerly WPD)
- Est. PV capacity
- 1.0-1.3 MW
About Hartpury College and University
Internationally recognised equine and agri-tech provider. Hartpury University status since 2018 gives HE-in-FE funding routes alongside FE Capital Transformation Fund eligibility. Strong existing sustainability strategy with solar identified as priority capital intervention.
The estate at Hartpury
360-hectare campus with main academic block, dairy unit (140 cows), equestrian centre (international-standard arenas), agricultural workshops, halls of residence for 1,000+ residential students, sports performance facilities, animal management unit.
From a solar PV perspective this delivers 1.0-1.3 MW potential including academic, accommodation, and agricultural buildings. With 220 kW of daytime baseload typical, self-consumption stays around 78% — strong for the sector. The DNO for Hartpury is NGED (formerly WPD).
Curriculum integration
BSc Agriculture, BSc Equine Business, BSc Sports, BTEC Level 3 Agriculture, T-Level Agriculture, T-Level Animal Care. Live dashboard ideal for synoptic projects in agritech and sustainable land management.
Funding stack for Hartpury
Salix Decarbonisation Loan + PSDS Phase 4 (bundled with heat decarbonisation on accommodation block) + Welsh Government Energy Service support not applicable (English border). Estimated total project value £950k-£1.2m for full estate rollout.
Detailed funding-route deep-dives:
- Salix Decarbonisation Loan — interest-free up to £600k per project
- PSDS Phase 4 capital grant — 100% grant for bundled bids
- FE Capital Transformation Fund — embedded sustainability in major refurb
- MCA decarbonisation grants — devolved regional funding
- AoC Climate Action Roadmap implementation — board-approved Climate Action Plan compliance pathway
- November 2022 ONS reclassification — the November 2022 policy change that unlocked Salix + PSDS for FE
- Interactive payback model — model the specific Hartpury College and University scenario
Estimated economics
For a 1150 kW programme at Hartpury, modelled economics assuming standard portfolio-scale unit cost (£800/kW installed at this scale):
- Capital cost: approximately £920,000
- Annual generation: approximately 1,713,960 kWh
- Annual energy savings: approximately £364,387 (at typical FE blended tariff)
- Salix-funded payback: approximately 2.5 years
- 25-year nominal benefit: approximately £8,189,675
These are scoping figures — a precise feasibility report requires 12 months of Hartpury's half-hourly meter data. See our interactive payback calculator to adjust the assumptions for your specific scenario.