Why farms are ideal solar candidates
Three reasons farm solar pays back faster than almost any other use case:
1. Massive flat or low-pitch barn roofs — 1,000-5,000 m² is typical. Plenty of room for 100-500kW systems without planning. Roof-mounted systems on agricultural buildings are usually permitted development, with a prior approval application to the council needed above 50kW.
2. High daytime consumption — milking parlours, robotic milkers, grain dryers, ventilation fans, irrigation pumps, refrigeration. The pattern matches solar generation almost perfectly: 80%+ self-consumption is normal on dairy and arable farms.
3. Stable long-term tenure — farms aren't sold every 7 years like commercial property. A 25-year solar investment is a logical decision for a third-generation family farm.
We've installed agricultural solar across all six Midlands counties — from 30kW on a Warwickshire chicken farm to 350kW on a Staffordshire dairy.
Grants for farm solar in 2026
FETF (Farming Equipment & Technology Fund) — Defra grants of £25,000-£50,000 toward eligible technology including renewable energy. We help you identify the qualifying components and prepare the application.
SFI (Sustainable Farming Incentive) — pays farmers for sustainable practices including reduced grid energy use. Solar isn't directly grant-funded but contributes to multiple SFI standards.
Improving Farm Productivity Grant — up to 40% of capital costs on renewable energy installations including solar with battery storage.
Annual Investment Allowance — 100% of solar capex deductible from farm profit in year one (separate from any grant).
We work with Midland Agri Solutions and other Midlands ag-advisors who help farmers maximise grant stacking.
Agricultural solar use cases we install
Dairy farms — milking parlour pumps and refrigeration are huge electricity loads; solar with a small battery covers 70-85% of grid imports.
Arable / grain farms — grain dryers in late summer (Aug-Oct) coincide perfectly with peak solar months. Diversion to grain-drying is a common configuration.
Pig and poultry sheds — ventilation fans run year-round and 24/7. Solar + battery + tariff arbitrage saves £8-£15 per pig finished.
Horticulture / glasshouses — high lighting and pumping loads, often year-round. Larger systems with battery storage typical.
Equestrian / livery yards — moderate loads but consistent. Often paired with EV charging for visitor cars and electric horse-walkers.
Farm shops, cafes, glamping — diversification income depends on reliable, predictable energy cost. Solar fixes the cost base.
Roof-mount or ground-mount?
Roof-mount is preferred where possible: no land sacrifice, often permitted development, minimal civil works. Barn roofs need a structural survey but most agricultural buildings (post-2000 portal frames) are fit-for-purpose.
Ground-mount suits farms with steel-framed older barns (where adding 10 tonnes of panels is risky), or farms with unused field corners. Ground-mounted farm arrays normally need a planning application. Typically combined with sheep-grazing under panels — "agrivoltaics" — which keeps the land productive.
We've designed and installed both patterns extensively across Midlands farms. See our farm solar page for case studies.