
Situated in a quiet, secluded spot on the south-facing bank of the River Camel, is Dinham Farm. This idyllic holiday location in North Cornwall is home to Steve and Sally Mably, who are striving to operate a self-sufficient, carbon-neutral farm and camping business. They use water boreholes and have adopted a recycling system on site.
Pathway to carbon neutrality
Steve and Sally had already installed a 4kW solar panel array on their farmhouse, before turning to Mole Energy, to further expand their energy self-sufficiency plans. Steve said: “With a previous installation already on site, we had experience of solar panels. When we decided to install more, we spoke to a couple of companies, but we chose Mole Energy as they clearly understood the vision we were setting out to achieve. “Their strong reputation and with prior familiarity with their other installations locally, it meant that we trusted the panels and knew that the service supplied was good. We were very pleased all round. “From the very first discussions regarding
“Their strong reputation and with prior familiarity with their other installations locally, it meant that we trusted the panels and knew that the service supplied was good. We were very pleased all round. From the very first discussions regarding the investment and the potential savings, not just in power but also in tax, it was Mole Energy that excelled – and it was the Mole Energy team who we really liked”.
Power-hungry operations “The camping side of the business is a very power-hungry operation with high on-site usage, especially in the morning and evening. Mole Energy added a 50kW ground mount in 2013, another 50kW ground mount in 2015 and a further 28kW system onto a tin roof shed in 2023*.”
In addition, to make the most of the energy generated, six Tesla Powerwall batteries were installed, to harness the energy generated during the day, for release during periods of high demand.
33% storage boost with Tesla Powerwalls
However, the Mably’s were finding they were still falling short, with energy running out halfway through the night. As a solution, they decided to add a further three Tesla batteries, increasing storage capacity by 33%. As Tesla Premium Installers, Mole Energy was able to interpret the power patterns and storage shortfall and advise on the stacking options.
Solar power and battery storage now runs the 150 electric hook-ups, 32 electric points, the new shed and commercial EV chargers for use by visitors
“Right from the outset and from our first site visit, we were impressed – and the product and system stood out for the right reasons too. “Mole Energy’s ongoing support is good – and if there are ever any issues, the team respond quickly and are there to put it right. “Our bills, once £20K per month, are now significantly lower. “It’s simple – we just like Mole Energy!” – Steve Mably – Dinham Farm