As a multi-faceted 118-acre organic agricultural site, Highfield Farm in Topsham runs not only as a fully functioning farm, but also as an established campsite and well-known local educational facility.
So, when its owners, Ian and Lyndsay Shears, started working towards an even more environmentally friendly agricultural establishment, there were many elements to consider in their long-term plans.
They began their eco-systems by installing 42 PV panels throughout the farm. Having already started to see the huge benefits associated with creating their own electricity, when the time came to replace the old gas-fired boiler, they were already considering the installation of a replacement, environmentally friendly and renewable energy-sourced biomass boiler.
Mr Shears explained: “We’d been considering biomass for a couple of years. We are Soil Association-certified and we installed solar PV panels to create our own electricity harnessed from sunlight, which also meant a lot of economic sense.
