Commercial solar for farms
Farm buildings often have generous roof space and genuine electricity demand, but rural grid capacity and seasonal usage patterns need particular attention.
What's different about farm sites
- Seasonal and variable demand. Grain drying, irrigation, refrigeration for produce, or livestock housing can create sharply seasonal electricity demand — a self-consumption assumption based on a flat annual average may not reflect your actual pattern well.
- Rural grid capacity. Rural distribution networks can have less spare capacity than urban ones, which makes the G99 grid connection assessment particularly important to get clarity on early — export limitation or network reinforcement costs can be more likely in rural areas.
- Roof condition and type. Older agricultural buildings may have asbestos cement roofing or a roof structure not originally designed for the additional load of a solar array — a proper structural survey matters more here than on a newer commercial building.
- Diversification and planning considerations. Depending on the scale and site, planning permission or permitted development rules may apply — check this separately from the solar proposal itself; it's not something an installer's quote will necessarily cover.
What to check in a proposal
The same fundamentals apply as any commercial proposal — see our full quote checklist — with particular attention to self-consumption assumptions matching your actual seasonal pattern, and clarity on grid connection risk before committing.
Already have proposals for a farm site? Upload them for an independent review.