As an infrastructure investor, and manager of the Edentree Green Infrastructure Fund, site visits form a key pillar of my research and engagement process, providing practical insights into physical processes and equipment, as well as valuable opportunities to hear from key stakeholders and, importantly, to wear a hard hat.

Earlier this month, I was one of a group of investors invited to attend a site visit organised by one of our portfolio companies, the Renewables Infrastructure Group (TRIG) - one of the largest diversified infrastructure investment trusts in the UK with a focus on pan-European wind and solar. The visit took in the Green Hill Wind Farm in Kelburn, Ayrshire and a control centre in Glasgow, providing insight into the impact of recent enhancements and innovation at both sites.

Constructed in 2011, the Green Hill wind farm is home to 14 Vestas V80 2MW turbines, with a combined capacity of 28MW. It has a capacity factor (a measure determined by the availability of wind, the swept area of the turbine and the size of the generator) of 37% - higher than the 30% normally assumed for onshore. Drawing from insights from sources including Formula One and the aerospace industry, the Green Hill site has – alongside other TRIG sites - trialled a number of innovations to increase energy yields, such as the addition of components like winglet tips, vortex generators, and gurney flaps to blades to improve aerodynamics. At the control centre, we discussed how the company looks to monitor performance and enhance the speed and efficiency with which faults are addressed.

With estimates suggesting that building a low-carbon global economy will require over $10 trillion of investment in new power capacity across solar, wind, batteries, and other technologies, between 2020 and 2050, I believe TRIG is well-positioned to benefit from this, while providing its investors with new alternative sources of income and growth. By visiting the Green Hill site, seeing the turbines at close range, and discussing the measures being implemented to increase efficiency and output, I was able to gain valuable insight into the company, and the role it plays within the portfolio – a day well spent.