Few businesses are as well placed for solar as a working farm. There’s usually plenty of roof space on barns and sheds, often some spare land, and in many cases a steady demand for electricity through the day. With energy now one of the biggest overheads on many farms, it’s no surprise that more farmers are looking seriously at generating their own power.
That said, farms have their own quirks. Livestock buildings, rural grid connections, older roofs and planning rules on agricultural land all shape what’s possible. This guide looks at where solar works well on a farm, and the details that tend to trip people up.
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Why farms and solar are a good match
The best returns from solar come when you use the electricity on site as it’s generated, instead of exporting it to the grid for a much lower rate. Many farm enterprises have exactly that kind of daytime demand.
Dairy farms are a good example. Milking, milk cooling, water heating and parlour washing all use significant amounts of power, and much of it falls during daylight hours. Poultry units run ventilation, lighting and heating almost constantly. Arable farms with grain stores rely on drying and conditioning equipment, and fruit and vegetable growers often run cold stores for months at a time.
Many farms also have diversified businesses alongside the main enterprise, such as farm shops, workshops, holiday lets, or small processing units. These add to the daytime load and make it easier to use more of what the panels produce.
Where the demand doesn’t line up
Solar generation peaks in summer and around midday. Farm demand doesn’t always follow that pattern. Grain drying tends to peak in late summer and autumn, and dairy demand is spread across early morning and late afternoon milkings.
This doesn’t make solar a poor fit, but it does mean the system should be designed around your real consumption pattern, not just the size of your roof. Your supplier can usually provide half-hourly usage data, and it’s worth having it to hand before anyone designs a system. On farms where much of the demand falls early or late in the day, battery storage can help shift daytime generation into those periods.
Rooftop or ground-mounted?
Barn and shed roofs are often the obvious starting point. They’re already there, they don’t take any land out of production, and in England, rooftop solar on agricultural buildings will often fall under permitted development, subject to certain conditions.
Farm roofs come with their own considerations, though:
Roof condition and materials. Many older farm buildings have fibre cement roofs, and some of these contain asbestos. An asbestos survey may be needed, and depending on the result the roof may need overcladding or replacing before panels can go on. Some farmers use a solar project as the push to replace a tired roof they’ve been putting off for years.
Structure. Older timber-framed or lightweight steel buildings may not have been designed to carry extra load. A structural survey should always come before the final design.
Livestock buildings. Pig and poultry sheds produce ammonia, which can corrode standard components over time. Panels and mounting systems used on these buildings should be rated for ammonia resistance, and it’s worth asking any installer directly how they account for this.
Ground-mounted systems make sense when roof space is limited, when the roofs aren’t suitable, or when demand is high enough to justify a larger array. They’re also easier to clean and maintain. The trade-off is that they usually need planning permission, and they take land out of other use, at least in part.
Planning and farmland
Ground-mounted solar on agricultural land is increasingly scrutinised by planning authorities, particularly on higher-quality land. Sites on poorer-quality land, or tucked away where they’re less visible, generally face an easier path. Well-prepared applications usually address landscape impact, biodiversity, drainage and how the land will be managed during the life of the system.
There’s also growing interest in combining solar with continued farming on the same land. Sheep grazing between and under ground-mounted panels is now fairly common, and it helps keep vegetation under control without mowing. It’s worth discussing with your installer at the design stage, as the panel height and row spacing need to suit it.
The rules differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so an early conversation with your local planning authority is time well spent.
The grid connection question
Rural electricity networks are often the biggest constraint on farm solar. Some farms are on single-phase supplies that limit the size of system they can connect, and many rural areas have limited spare capacity on the local network.
Most systems of any size will need approval from the Distribution Network Operator before connection. In some cases the DNO will cap how much you can export, or ask for a contribution towards upgrading the network. A system designed mainly for on-site use, with little or no export, can sometimes get around these limits, which is another reason to size the system around your own demand.
If your supply needs upgrading from single-phase to three-phase anyway, perhaps for new machinery, it can make sense to plan the two projects together.
Living with solar on a working farm
A few practical details make a real difference over the life of the system.
Cabling needs protecting from rodents, which will happily chew through exposed cable runs in barns and around ground-mounted arrays. Ground-mounted systems near livestock need secure fencing, and the kit should be positioned so that machinery can move around the yard without risk of collision.
Dust is another factor. Panels near grain stores, feed mills or busy tracks can build up dirt faster than those on a typical commercial building, which reduces output. A sensible cleaning and inspection schedule, along with good remote monitoring, will help you spot when performance starts to drop.
Finally, tell your insurer early. Some policies have specific requirements for solar on agricultural buildings, particularly those housing livestock or stored crops.
Funding and financial support
Farmers have several routes for funding a solar project. Buying outright generally gives the best long-term return, and businesses may be able to claim capital allowances against the cost. Your accountant can advise on what applies to you. Asset finance is widely used in agriculture and can spread the cost so that energy savings help cover the repayments.
Government grant schemes for farm productivity have, at times, included support for rooftop solar and related equipment. These rounds open and close, and eligibility varies by nation, so check what’s currently available before committing. Exported electricity can also earn payments through the Smart Export Guarantee, with rates varying considerably between suppliers.
Generating your own power versus leasing your land
It’s worth being clear about the difference between installing solar for your own use and leasing land to a solar developer. Many farmers are approached by developers offering an annual rent for large ground-mounted schemes. That can be a steady income, but the electricity goes to the grid, not your farm, and the leases often run for decades.
Installing a system to power your own operation is a different proposition. You own the asset, you benefit directly from lower bills, and the size is set by your needs, not a developer’s. Some farms end up doing both, but they’re separate decisions with very different implications for the land.
If you’re starting to weigh up your options, an installer experienced in agricultural solar systems should be able to assess your buildings, land and energy use together, and give you an honest view of which approach suits your farm.
