Solar Panels in Farms and Agriculture
Rising costs of electricity are adding to the escalating overheads faced by UK farmers which affect profitability. Farm buildings can provide large, uncomplicated roof spaces which are ideal for installing solar PV, helping farmers to reduce their energy bills significantly.
Agricultural solar panels can benefit refrigeration warehouses, grain stores, dairy units and chicken housing. They all require a high amount of energy to run and can benefit from solar to help reduce electricity costs. Matching the daytime generation from the panels to the electricity demand within the building is the most efficient way to use solar energy, as it means businesses need to import less energy from the grid (which costs up to three times as much as solar). That’s where battery storage comes in too.
Can you put solar panels on agricultural land?
Yes, however, for a large-scale ground mounted solar PV system there are lots of considerations. These include the requirement for full planning permission and also how you get the power from the panel location into your supply or into the grid. In many cases farm buildings provide a great platform for solar PV, typically with less onerous planning requirements and more easily accessible electrical infrastructure.
How can New Dawn Energy help?
We’ve been installing commercial solar PV systems in Herefordshire and the surrounding counties for over 15 years, including large scale agricultural installations.
If you have an agricultural building with a sizeable roof then it makes commercial sense to make the most of its potential to generate solar power.
There’s never been a better time to offset your business energy costs as well as contribute to the nation’s quest toward carbon neutrality.
