Farms are one of the best-suited property types for solar in the UK: large roof areas on barns and sheds, spare land for ground-mounted arrays, and heavy, predictable daytime electricity use from cold stores, grain drying, irrigation and milking equipment that solar can offset directly. England-based farms also have access to funding most homeowners don’t, including the Farming Investment Fund and Farming Equipment and Technology Fund, provided the system is tied to a genuine productivity need rather than just general electricity use.
Why Farms Suit Solar Particularly Well
Most farm electricity use happens during daylight hours – refrigeration, ventilation, pumps and machinery mostly run when people are working, which lines up closely with when solar panels are generating. Large barn and outbuilding roofs offer far more usable, unshaded space than a typical house, often enough to support a system sized in tens or hundreds of kW rather than the few kW typical of a domestic install, and many farms already have the three-phase electricity supply that a larger system needs.
Funding and Grants Available for Farm Solar
| Scheme | Typical amount | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) | £2,500–£25,000 | Smaller items, annual funding rounds with rolling application windows |
| Farming Investment Fund / Farming Transformation Fund | Roughly £25,000–£100,000+, match-funded | Solar tied to a specific productivity need (refrigeration, drying, slurry handling, milking, etc.), typically 40–60% farmer-funded |
| Annual Investment Allowance | Up to £1 million per year | 100% first-year tax deduction against qualifying capital spend, including solar equipment |
| Smart Export Guarantee | Per-kWh export payment, varies by supplier | MCS certification and a smart/export meter |
| 0% VAT relief | Removes VAT from qualifying installations | Applies to residential accommodation on the farm; commercial buildings are treated differently for VAT |
The important detail with Farming Investment Fund-type schemes is that standalone solar installed just to reduce a general electricity bill typically won’t qualify – the funding is designed around solar that’s genuinely tied to a productivity improvement, so it’s worth framing your application around the specific equipment or process the system will power.
Roof-Mounted vs Ground-Mounted Solar on a Farm
Barn and shed roofs are usually the first place to look, since the structural space is already there and doesn’t take agricultural land out of production. Where a farm has more electricity demand than the available roofs can meet, or roofs that are unsuitable (too old, wrong pitch, structurally weak), a ground-mounted array on lower-grade land is the common alternative. Larger ground-mounted farm arrays are more likely to need full planning permission rather than falling under permitted development, given the scale involved – our guide to ground vs roof-mounted solar covers the general planning thresholds, though farm-scale projects should always get a specific planning opinion given the larger areas typically involved.
Combining Solar With Farming: Agrivoltaics
Some farms mount ground-based arrays high enough, or space rows widely enough, to keep the land underneath in some form of agricultural use – commonly sheep grazing, since sheep are unbothered by the panels and the shade can even benefit pasture in hot spells. This “agrivoltaics” approach isn’t suitable for every crop or livestock type, but it’s worth discussing with your installer or agronomist if taking land fully out of production is a concern.
Sizing a System Around Farm Electricity Use
Farm electricity use tends to be lumpier than a house’s – a grain dryer or milking parlour can pull a lot of power for a defined period, then very little the rest of the day. A good installer will size the system, and any battery, around your actual load profile rather than a generic per-hectare estimate, since two farms with similar acreage can have very different electricity patterns depending on what they produce. It’s worth pulling at least twelve months of electricity data before getting quotes, so the design reflects your real usage rather than an average.
Business Rates and Tax Considerations
Solar installed for a farm’s own use is generally treated differently from a large-scale solar farm built primarily to export and sell electricity, which can affect business rates and tax treatment. This is genuinely worth a conversation with your accountant or a specialist rural surveyor before committing to a large system, since the numbers can shift meaningfully depending on how the installation is structured and whether any land is taken out of agricultural use.
Frequently Asked Questions About Solar Panels for Farms
Can farmers get grants for solar panels in the UK?
Yes, primarily through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund and the Farming Investment Fund in England, plus separate schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Most require the solar to be tied to a specific productivity need, such as refrigeration or grain drying, rather than general electricity use.
Do I need planning permission for a large farm solar array?
Very likely, once you go beyond the small-scale permitted development thresholds that apply to a typical domestic ground mount. Farm-scale ground-mounted arrays should be checked with your local planning authority before committing to a design, since the area involved usually exceeds what’s automatically permitted.
Can sheep or other livestock graze under solar panels?
Sheep grazing under raised solar arrays is a well-established practice known as agrivoltaics, and it lets land stay in productive use alongside generating electricity. Suitability depends on panel height, row spacing and the specific livestock, so it’s worth discussing with your installer at the design stage rather than assuming any layout will work.
How big can a farm solar system be?
There’s no fixed ceiling, but scale is generally limited by available roof or land area, your electrical connection capacity, and planning permission for anything beyond permitted development thresholds. Farm systems commonly range from tens of kW on barn roofs to much larger ground-mounted arrays where land and demand justify it.
