Downing Renewable Developments, a subsidiary of investment fund management firm, Downing, is committed to providing its clients with environmentally responsible, and socially conscious investment opportunities. To achieve this, they turned to Searchland to streamline their site-sourcing activity and build an impressive renewable energy development pipeline. 

We spoke with Chris Coates, Origination & Engineering Lead at Downing Renewable Developments, on his experience of using Searchland to identify renewable energy sites.

Challenges before Searchland:

• Time-consuming and resource-intensive site-sourcing processes
• Difficulty in accurately referencing land against the UK's grid infrastructure
• Lack of an intuitive, cloud-based platform for site analysis

Before Searchland, the team spent considerable time and resources manually sourcing and assessing potential renewable energy sites. With Searchland's powerful features, they can now quickly identify suitable locations at speed, saving them time and money and increasing opportunities.

"We've grown with Searchland, from just 2 users to now over 10”

Chris and his team primarily use Searchland for site finding and landowner referencing, utilising filters and constraints to locate areas suitable for solar, battery storage and onshore wind projects. The platform's user-friendly interface and quick learning curve have also made it easier for them to train new team members on the platform. 

Favourite features:

• Distribution Network Operator (DNO) Data: Searchland's unique ability to accurately reference land against the UK's grid infrastructure is incredibly valuable to Downing, allowing them to quickly identify suitable sites for renewable energy projects.
• Sourcing Tool: With filters, constraints, and powerful search capabilities, Searchland allows Downing Renewable Developments to efficiently locate and assess potential sites, ranging from 20 to 3,000 acres, saving time and money in the site origination process.
• Projects: Searchland's project feature enables Downing Renewable Developments’ growing team to work collaboratively in a centralised cloud location, ensuring organised and efficient site-sourcing and analysis.
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"Searchland has helped us build a renewable portfolio of approximately 6GW, providing renewable energy to power up to 1 million homes in the UK."

Thanks to Searchland, Downing Renewable Developments has built an impressive pipeline of approximately 6GW of renewable energy sites, capable of powering around a million homes in the UK. This represents great investment potential, spanning sites across England, Scotland, and Wales, ranging from 20 to 3,000 acres.

"The support team is always in touch and ensures we get the most out of the platform. We've never had to wait for help. We're really happy with the platform and have never considered switching to a competitor."

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‍What’s next for Downing Renewable Developments? 

As Downing Renewable Developments continues to grow its team and expand its renewable energy portfolio, Searchland remains an integral part of their site-sourcing strategy. We look forward to growing with them and helping to power many more homes in the UK with renewable energy.

Quotes from Chris Coates, Origination & Engineering Lead at Downing Renewable Developments.

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Want to see how Searchland can help you identify and assess renewable energy sites for investment and development? Book a demo with our team to learn more.