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FARMS solar panels and batteries for farms and agricultural businesses in Devon
Solar for barns, fields and farm businesses.
Get a quoteSolar for farms
What it is
We design and install solar panels and batteries for farms and agricultural businesses across Devon: on barn, shed and store roofs, or as ground-mounted arrays on spare land, planned around milking, lambing and harvest.
Farms have large roof space and daytime loads such as milk cooling, pumping, workshops and drying that often line up with generation, and a battery can carry that into the evening and early morning. How much it saves depends on how your farm uses power through the year. See where the savings come from below.
From our Ivybridge base we work with farms across the South Hams, the Plymouth area and rural Devon.
Who it suits
- Dairy farms
- Arable farms and grain stores
- Livestock and mixed farms
- Farms with diversified buildings: workshops, farm shops and holiday lets
- Holdings with spare land for a ground mount
Why it’s worth it
The benefits
Roof space to spare
Barn, shed and store roofs are often large and well suited to panels.
Land for ground mounts
When the roof isn’t right, a field corner or paddock can host an array.
Daytime farm loads
Cooling, pumping, drying and workshops use generation as it’s made.
Insurance-backed warranty
Our renewable installs come with a QANW (Quality Assured National Warranty) insurance-backed warranty.
The price you agree is the price you pay
You get a clear, itemised estimate, usually within 5 working days of the survey, and the price you agree is the price you pay.
Savings
Where the savings come from
Farms use power in ways that suit solar well. Here’s where it typically goes.
We have seen return on investment, or payback, as low as two years for companies that were spending hundreds of thousands of pounds a year on energy. Every site is different, so we’ll work out the figures for yours.
Why business paybacks are so good
- Fields and paddocks give us room to size a ground-mounted array to make the most of the sun, with no scaffolding and no roof survey at all.
- On barn and shed roofs, scaffolding goes up once and the survey is done once. A home might take 10 or 20 panels; a big farm roof can take 100, 200 or even 500, so those fixed costs are spread across far more panels.
Dairy: milking, milk cooling and hot water
Milking equipment, vacuum pumps, milk cooling and bulk tanks use a lot of electricity every day. Cooling continues long after milking, through the day, when solar is generating. Hot water for cleaning the parlour can be heated with surplus solar through an immersion and diverter.
Milking often happens early in the morning and later in the afternoon, so a battery can store daytime generation to help cover those sessions.
Grain drying and storage
Grain drying and ventilation fans run hard at harvest, in late summer and early autumn, when there’s still plenty of daylight. Solar can supply part of that seasonal load directly, reducing what you import at the busiest time of year.
Barns and large roof space
Barns, sheds and stores often have big, open roofs facing the right way. Putting panels on buildings you already have makes use of space that’s otherwise doing nothing. We check the roof sheets, structure and access at survey. See on-roof solar.
Ground-mount options
If the roofs are shaded, face the wrong way or aren’t strong enough, a ground-mounted array on a field corner or paddock can be positioned and angled for good output. Ground mounts often need planning permission, and we’ll help with that. See ground-mount solar.
Workshops, pumps and lighting
Workshop tools, water pumps, yard and shed lighting and electric fencing supplies add up across the day. Solar can cover a share of these loads as it generates.
Diversified buildings and EV charging
Farm shops, holiday lets, offices and workshops on the same holding all add daytime demand that can use your generation. Electric farm vehicles and staff cars can be charged from surplus solar with a smart charger. See EV chargers with solar.
Pricing
Request a site survey
No two farms are alike. Roof or land, supply capacity, three-phase power and how you use energy all shape the right system. One of our experienced engineers will review your energy bills, assess the site and give you a fully costed proposal with expected payback.
Quotes are always free.
What’s included
What a typical farm install includes
Farm survey
Roofs, land, structure, supply and how the farm uses power through the year.
Design and DNO application
Roof or ground-mount design, plus the network operator application, which larger systems need before install.
Install around your calendar
Planned around milking, lambing, harvest and holiday-let changeovers where you give us notice.
Handover
Commissioning, monitoring set up, certificates and paperwork handled.
How it works
Four simple steps
- 1
Enquiry
Tell us about your property and what you’re after, online or on the phone.
- 2
Survey
We look at your roof or land, your usage and your supply, then send a clear estimate, usually within 5 working days.
- 3
Install
Our own team fits everything tidily: dust sheets down, clean as we go.
- 4
Handover & aftercare
We commission the system, show you the app and hand over your certificates and MCS paperwork, then call about a week later to check you’re happy.
Grid connections
Grid connections and paperwork, all handled
We have a strong working relationship with National Grid in the South West. We work with them to confirm how much your site can export and what size of solar, battery and inverter is approved for your property, whether that’s a home, business, industrial unit or farm. Every installation follows MCS, NICEIC and BS 7671 regulations. We handle the full process for you: National Grid applications, MCS registration, NICEIC certification, and your certificates and warranty documents at handover.
The technical bit: smaller systems are usually notified to the network operator after install (G98). Larger systems, which includes most commercial, industrial and farm systems, need approval before install (G99), and the network operator can set an export limit.
Rules & regulations
In plain English
A simple overview to help you plan. We check the details for your property at survey.
Planning permission
Many roof-mounted systems on commercial and agricultural buildings are permitted development, but there are conditions, and ground mounts, listed buildings and some conservation areas can need an application. We’ll flag anything to check with your council.
Roof structure
Panels, rails and any ballast add load to a roof. We check the structure and covering at survey and, where needed, recommend a structural engineer’s assessment before anything goes up.
Farm electrics
Agricultural premises have special requirements in BS 7671 (the UK wiring regulations), such as extra protection where livestock are kept. The electrical side of your solar is designed to them.
FAQs
Common questions
Will solar cut our farm’s electricity bills?
Yes, it can. How much depends on how and when the farm uses power through the year, your tariff and the system we design. We’ll talk you through realistic figures at the survey.
Can farm solar pay back quickly?
Yes, it can. We have seen return on investment, or payback, as low as two years for companies that were spending hundreds of thousands of pounds a year on energy. Every site is different, so we’ll work out the figures for yours.
Can solar help with milk cooling?
Yes, it can! Milk cooling runs through the day while the panels are generating, and a battery can store daytime solar to help with early-morning and late-afternoon milking.
Do you install ground-mounted arrays on farmland?
Yes, we do! A ground mount can be positioned and angled for good output. It often needs planning permission, and we’ll help with the application.
Can you work around milking and harvest?
Yes, absolutely! Tell us your calendar and constraints up front, including biosecurity and vehicle access, and we’ll plan the work around them.
Is farm solar still worth it if we export a lot?
Yes, it can be, and a battery often helps! It depends on how much you use in the day, your tariff and your connection, so we look at your load pattern first and tell you honestly what suits.
Building new, or planning a bigger project? We can plan solar and battery storage in from the drawings stage, and manage larger commercial, industrial and farm projects from start to finish.
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Let’s look at your farm
A few quick questions and we’ll get back to you. No obligation.
Get a quote Call 01752 200496