Why Agricultural Solar Panels Makes Strong Financial Sense
Farm energy costs have risen significantly. Grain drying, irrigation pumping, refrigeration, water heating, milking equipment, poultry ventilation — agricultural operations are energy-intensive, and that consumption typically peaks during daylight hours when solar PV generation is at its highest.
This alignment between generation and consumption means self-consumption rates on agricultural solar PV installations are typically higher than for many other commercial applications. More of what is generated is consumed directly, improving the financial return on the investment.
Battery storage extends the benefits of solar panels in farms further — capturing surplus midday generation for use during early morning and evening milking periods, overnight ventilation loads or other consumption outside peak solar generation hours.
SPI understands the impact of solar panels in the agricultural sector. The planning environment, the structural challenges of agricultural buildings, the rural grid connection
Renewable Industry Certifications
What Solar Panels for Farms Deliver
Energy Cost Reduction
Reduce electricity costs with solar panels for farms. High daytime self-consumption rates make the financial case for agricultural solar particularly strong.
Rural Resilience
Battery storage provides backup power during grid outages — a meaningful benefit for rural properties where grid reliability is a genuine operational concern.
Revenue From Underused Roof Space
Large agricultural roofs are an energy asset that most farms are not using. A solar PV installation converts that roof space into a revenue-generating asset.
Ground-Mounted Solar for Farms: Utilise Your Available Land
For farms with suitable land in addition to roof space, ground-mounted solar panels offer an alternative or complementary option to rooftop installation. Ground-mounted solar panel systems avoid the structural constraints of agricultural buildings entirely and can be sited to maximise generation regardless of building orientation.
For larger landholdings, a ground-mounted solar farm on unproductive or marginal land represents a significant long-term income opportunity — either through a solar lease with a developer or through direct ownership with a private wire connection to the farm operation.
SPI advises on and installs both rooftop and ground-mounted options for agricultural clients. For larger ground-mounted projects, our Large Scale Solar offer covers the development, planning and delivery process.
Solar Panels for Farm Buildings with Asbestos Cement Roofs
A significant proportion of agricultural buildings have asbestos cement roofing installed in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Installing solar panels on asbestos cement sheeting is not acceptable; the drilling required creates a regulated asbestos disturbance risk, and the roof condition is rarely adequate to support a 25-year solar investment.
For many agricultural clients, this has been the barrier that stops the conversation before it starts. The economics of replacing an asbestos roof in isolation are challenging to justify. But combining roof replacement with solar PV installation changes the financial picture fundamentally. The roof replacement cost becomes part of an investment in a revenue-generating asset rather than a maintenance sunk cost.
SPI manages the combined process. We work with licensed asbestos roofing contractors and act as the single point of contact from roof survey through to solar commissioning and long-term aftercare.