Radio Caroline transmitter at Orfordess site
Radio Caroline has shared details of its successful move to solar-powered broadcasting, years ahead of similar research now being explored by the BBC.
Station Manager Peter Moore revealed that the team invested in solar energy after rising energy costs prompted a review of how to make their AM transmissions more sustainable.
Based at Orfordness on the Suffolk coast, the station’s transmitter site is also part of an RSPB bird sanctuary, meaning wind turbines were ruled out early on.
Instead, Radio Caroline installed a full solar array, investing £25,000 through Herefordshire firm Caplor Energy. The system included panels, cabling, an inverter and online power monitoring, allowing listeners to track how their donations helped fund the project.
On sunny days, the system generated up to 20KW of power — more than enough to run the transmitter. Any surplus energy was passed to site landlord Cobra Mist Ltd, who in turn removed a previous 10% mark-up on grid power supplied to the station.
The project proved so successful that Radio Caroline has since expanded its setup with additional panels and a second inverter to increase capacity to around 30KW.
The new system was installed in-house after Caplor Energy ceased trading, with the team using their own technical expertise to complete the work.
Peter Moore said the upgrade not only secures the future of their AM transmissions but also demonstrates what can be achieved in UK broadcasting with independent renewable investment.
He added that while the site cannot currently feed surplus power back into the national grid, the station continues to explore sustainable options for its future operations.