Case study · Agriculture · Bedfordshire
150kW for a farm that runs its own grain dryer.
Two barn roofs, a working tenant farm, and an annual diesel bill that wasn’t coming down on its own. Here’s how the numbers actually played out.
150kW
System Size
75%
Self-Consumption
£25k
Annual Benefit
4.5yrs
Payback Period
The Challenge
A 500-acre arable farm in Bedfordshire had diversified into cold storage and vegetable packing to add value to their crops. This operation brought significant electricity costs:
- Cold storage facilities running 24/7
- Vegetable washing and packing equipment
- Grain drying facilities (seasonal)
- Workshop and machinery maintenance
- Farm office and residential buildings
Annual electricity bills approached £35,000, eating into farm profitability. The farm owners wanted to reduce costs and create an additional income stream independent of agricultural subsidies.
Our Solution
We designed a 150kW solar installation across multiple farm buildings to maximise generation and self-consumption:
System Design
- Main barn (100kW) - South-facing roof, ideal orientation
- Cold store (30kW) - Directly powers refrigeration units
- Pack house (20kW) - Powers packing line equipment
- Roof-mounted - No loss of agricultural land
- Agricultural-grade mounting - Designed for barn roof structures
Agricultural Considerations
Farm installations require specific expertise:
- Structural assessment of portal frame buildings
- Working around harvest schedules
- Three-phase connections typical of farms
- Dust and debris from farming operations
- Remote monitoring essential for rural locations
Technical Specifications
System Details
- Total capacity: 150kWp
- Panel type: Canadian Solar 455W
- Number of panels: 330
- Inverters: Sungrow SG110CX + SG50CX
- Buildings covered: 3
- Annual generation: 140,000 kWh
Performance
- Self-consumption: 75%
- Grid export: 25%
- Export rate: 15p/kWh (SEG)
- CO2 offset: 32 tonnes/year
- Cold store powered: 18hrs/day
- System efficiency: 20.8%
Results
After the first full year of operation:
£20,000
Electricity savings
£5,000
Export income (SEG)
32 tonnes
CO2 avoided annually
Financial Summary
- Total investment: £115,000
- Annual benefit: £25,000 (savings + export)
- Payback period: 4.5 years
- 25-year projected benefit: £550,000+
- System warranty: 25 years panel performance
Farm Business Benefits
- Reduced exposure to electricity price volatility
- Predictable income stream independent of crop prices
- Improved farm sustainability credentials
- Lower carbon footprint for produce marketing
Farmer Feedback
"With agricultural margins under constant pressure, the solar installation provides a reliable income stream that doesn't depend on the weather at harvest time. The cold store now essentially runs for free during daylight hours - it's transformed our economics."
Have Agricultural Buildings?
Contact us to discuss how solar can reduce your farm's electricity costs and provide diversified income.
Get a quote → Call 07944 275171