AN ORGANIC cider producer has become even greener thanks to a Leominster firm.

Butford Organics will use energy from its 16 new solar panels to make this year’s vintage cider and perry.

The £14,000 system was installed on a south-facing roof at the Bodenham farm by workers at Southern Solar.

The investment should soon pay for itself as the farm uses 14kw a day and the panels can produce a maximum 3.8kw an hour.

Butford Organics has enjoyed a great season after taking awards in competitions in Putley and the Hereford Cider Museum.

Producer Martin Harris claims his new renewable energy will make this year’s vintage the most cost-effective and greenest yet.

“We will be starting with the 2011 vintage next week but it will take a few months to reach its primary condition,”

said Mr Harris.

“We are very pleased with this system. I’m just redesigning my website to tell people our cider is solar-powered too.”

Mr Harris said that many solar panels are not as ecofriendly as they seem as their photovoltaic cells are often produced in Japan.

But the panels in the Butford Farm system were definitely local in comparison as they were produced by Sharp UK in Wrexham.

Workers at Southern Solar took three days to install the system following a 300kw installation at nearby Brooklands poultry farm.