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Jeremy Clarkson has made a dramatic U-turn on solar panels just nine months after calling them “ugly”, with his Cotswolds brewery set to install them.
The 66-year-old broadcaster criticised solar panels earlier this year as part of a wider attack on the Government’s Net Zero policies.
Writing in his Sunday Times column in January, Mr Clarkson described solar panels as “ugly” and compared them to having “an ugly wife or an ugly car”.
He also argued that measures introduced in pursuit of Net Zero “all make our lives more difficult”, something he claimed “Ed Sillyband doesn’t seem to understand”.
But just months later, Hawkstone Brewery, founded by Mr Clarkson in the Cotswolds in 2021, has announced plans to embrace solar energy.
The brewery has appointed Nottinghamshire-based Geo Green Power to carry out its first solar PV installation at its premises in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire.
Work is expected to begin in November, with the electricity generated used to power brewery processes ranging from milling machines to heating and cooling systems.
The rooftop system will generate an estimated 24.25MWh of energy each year and save 4.9 tonnes of CO2 annually, according to the companies.
They say this is the equivalent of planting 215 trees, while the brewery is also expected to make savings on its energy costs and reduce its Scope 2 emissions.
The system will comprise Canadian Solar PV modules secured with Renusol fixings, alongside a SolarEdge inverter and optimisers.
Ben Bonham, head brewer at Hawkstone Brewery, said: “We’re always looking for ways to improve how we operate, and investing in solar energy is a natural next step for us.
“Brewing is an energy-intensive process, so generating our own renewable electricity will help us reduce our environmental impact while making the brewery more efficient and resilient.”
James Cunningham, managing director of Geo Green Power, said: “We’re incredibly excited to get started on this fantastic project and with our extensive solar experience within the hospitality industry, we know what a great opportunity this is for Hawkstone Brewery.
“It’s also brilliant to be working with a business which also champions agriculture and Britain’s farms.
“This is something we’ve also seen first-hand, having shared an adjacent tent to the Hawkstone team at this year’s ‘Cereals Event’ held at Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm.
“This approach is something we highly value at Geo Green Power as we proudly support farmers and farms across the country with commercial solar, and again, we have seen the positive impact investment in renewables has had for these communities.”
The move follows Mr Clarkson revealing earlier this year that he had also investigated installing solar panels and a wind turbine at his Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire.
Responding to a viewer who suggested solar panels could reduce his bills, Mr Clarkson said: “We’ve looked into it in great detail. And a wind turbine. But the numbers don’t add up, I’m afraid.”
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