A recent survey has found 80% of farmers are considering harvesting the sun through rooftop solar farms to help power their operations and to create an additional revenue stream.
The UK study involved 130 farmers and was carried out by Farming Futures and Solarcentury. Interest from the agricultural sector has soared as a result of the UK’s solar feed in tariff.
Rather than rows of solar panels in fields taking up valuable space for crops, the majority of farmers are looking towards rooftop solar farms.
According to Farming Futures’ Madeleine Lewis, on-farm building solar PV is likely to become a common site in the not-too-distant future. “.. it’s great to see so many farmers recognising this opportunity to create an income and diversify – as well as contribute to developing a low carbon economy in the UK.”
Nearly 90% of farmers interested in investing in renewables are planning to do so within the next two years, which would enable them to take advantage of the feed in tariff that will provide guaranteed income for 25 years.
The uptick in interest reflects a broader trend throughout Europe, where feed in tariffs that have been in place for years and have encouraged farmers to invest in solar power, leading to energy efficiency and the reduction of grid electricity consumption. Farm based solar installations can also help to reduce the lows often experienced in farm income due to the seasonal nature of activities.
Closer to home, Australia’s various solar feed in tariff programs are also providing local farmers with welcome additional income from their solar farms; with some states offering a premium rate of up to 50 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity exported to the mains grid. With mains-grid supplied electricity costs continually escalating, farm-based solar installations also provider farmers with a buffer against price hikes.
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Solar farm opportunities in Australia
