Can agrivoltaics combine solar panels with your farm business?

Agrivoltaics combines agricultural activity with solar electricity generation. Your assessment must test the farming system, land protection, grid connection and electricity income together. Natural England's land classification uses grades 1 to 5 [S3], so identify your land's quality before developing an English planning proposal. Overseas crop results do not establish your farm's likely return. Checked October 2026.

Last checked 16 October 2026

What is agrivoltaic farming, and why consider it?

Agrivoltaics means deliberately combining solar with agricultural production. The UK Solar Roadmap identifies continued livestock grazing at solar sites and the developing opportunity to combine solar with arable farming. That does not establish a standard design or a farm-specific yield. [S1]

Start with your farming objective: continued grazing, crop production, sheltered growing space or a practical electricity supply for the business. Record what must remain workable after the installation. If the proposed layout makes your current operation impractical, calculate the cost of changing that operation before looking at electricity income.

Compare the proposal with rooftops, car parks and other land. The Commons Library identifies these as alternative ways to deploy solar, each with land-use and cost trade-offs. [S4] Read farm diversification with solar and chargers alongside your existing farm budget.

Can crops and machinery work around solar panels?

Request a drawing that starts with the agricultural operation. Mark machinery widths, turning areas, gates, water points, drainage and access for maintenance. Have the person doing the fieldwork review it before the electrical design is finalised. Include seasonal tasks and contractor access in that discussion.

Do not import a crop-yield percentage from a hot climate into your UK business plan. The Solar Roadmap calls agrivoltaics a developing industry and says government is working to understand its opportunities. [S1] Ask for evidence relevant to your proposed crop, location and panel arrangement, with a comparison area and a clear measurement method. Where that evidence is absent, budget for uncertainty rather than an uplift.

Agree who controls mowing, grazing, spraying, irrigation and panel maintenance. Ask how access is restored after repairs. A drawing that includes agriculture is useful only if the operating agreement preserves it.

What planning checks apply to solar on agricultural land?

For English projects, planning guidance considers land quality, landscape, heritage, ecology, glare and the possibility of continued agricultural use. Continued farming does not settle the application by itself. [S2] Ask the council what studies it needs before commissioning the final design. Planning outside England must be checked with the relevant national and local bodies.

Natural England explains agricultural land classification and the need to assess soil, climate and site characteristics. [S3] Ask a qualified adviser to establish the evidence required for your field. Include construction traffic, soil handling, drainage and eventual removal in the proposal. Use ground-mounted solar planning to prepare your council discussion.

How do funding models change your farm’s exposure?

The following are structures to compare with bidders, not evidence that a funder will accept your project. Ask your solicitor to review tenure, agricultural access, redevelopment, assignment and reinstatement.

Request separate figures for farming income and electricity income. Do not add a rent offer to electricity sales you would not own. Discuss business rates, tax and any effects on agricultural support with your accountant and solicitor before signing. These need site-specific review.

What could it earn, and how many years could payback take?

This is an illustration, not a quote, using assumptions rather than market prices. It models electricity export only. Agricultural profit is excluded, as are any changes in crop output or farm operating costs.

kWh means kilowatt-hours, a measure of energy. Annual sales equal generation × £0.08. Operating surplus equals sales − £1,500. Part funded host income is half that surplus; fully funded host income is sales × 10%. These generation scenarios test uncertainty; they are not a regional yield forecast.

Simple return on investment (ROI) is annual host net income ÷ host capital × 100. Payback is host capital ÷ annual host net income. For the mid self funded case: 100,000 × £0.08 − £1,500 = £6,500; £80,000–£120,000 ÷ £6,500 = 12.3–18.5 years. The part funded percentages match only because its assumed capital and income are both halved.

This simplified model excludes VAT, tax, finance, grants, grid reinforcement, insurance, replacements, degradation, curtailment and farming changes. Get site estimates for those items before judging viability. See solar payback for a wider assessment.

Can the solar array also supply EV chargers?

Ask the distribution network operator (DNO), responsible for local electricity cables, to assess the proposed generation connection. Electricity North West describes different generation application routes and network checks; the route depends on the equipment and connection. [S5] Treat charger demand as a separate design input. Check cable routes, import needs and operating hours before assuming field generation supplies a visitor bay.

What should you do next?

Collect the farm layout, land evidence, electricity records and outline agricultural plan. Then get matched with an installer that covers your area.

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