The Benefits of Solar for Farms and Agriculture
Whilst solar power is viewed as one of the most viable solutions for a greener future by almost everyone, there is some scepticism around how effective it can be for farming and agriculture.
In this article, we will explore some successful trials that have integrated solar for the benefit of both the landowners and the environment.
A divide in opinion
Landowners’ reluctance to integrate solar farms in agricultural areas is understandable.
Why?
Firstly, many farmers are — with good reason — proud of their land and the generations that have worked it before them. The land is their livelihood, and they want to ensure that any changes won’t jeopardise future production.
There is also a fear that solar panels or farms may require regular maintenance, which could interfere with normal farming activities, and that the visual impact of large-scale solar installations may significantly change the appearance of the countryside.
These are valid concerns, but they should not be used as an excuse to prevent progress toward a more sustainable future. And as you will see, solar farms can actually have several positive impacts on agricultural land.
What does integration look like?
Solar integration on farms includes several different approaches, from installing solar panels on existing structures to creating brand new solar farms on unused or underutilised land.
Solar panels can be easily installed on farm buildings, such as barns or stables, and used to generate electricity for the farm. This can reduce the farm’s reliance on the grid, slash utility bills and provide a backup power source in case of an outage.
Solar panels can also be installed on farm equipment, such as tractors or combine harvesters, providing power for the equipment and reducing the amount of fuel used, saving money and emissions.
Another possibility is the creation of solar farms on unused or underutilised land on the farm. This can provide a new source of income, as well as generate electricity for the farm and the surrounding community.
It is worth noting that the cost of solar panels has come down in the UK by approximately 70% since 2010, significantly reducing the upfront costs.
Estimations suggest that the average ROI for a traditional solar farm is between 10 to 20%. Most solar farms pay off their system within five to ten years and then have at least 30 years of free electricity.
Potential
One unusual example of collaboration between the farming sector and the solar energy industry is a New Zealand-based company, Solar Sheep, that leases out solar panels to farmers and sheep can graze beneath them. The company believes that this form of solar integration is more space and land efficient, as well as has the potential to fertilise the grass with sheep manure.
Similarly, in Spain, a large-scale solar farm was built on abandoned mining land. The Andasol Solar Power Station utilises a concentrating solar power system that uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto a central tower where water is boiled. The steam produced then drives turbines. Drought-resistant vegetation has been planted in the surrounding area.
In Australia, a three-year trial between the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and grazing company Zara Resources has been set up to explore the potential of large-scale solar farms co-existing with agriculture. The 1.5MW farm in New South Wales will irrigate pastures and provide power for on-farm activities to provide a model for future solar-agricultural developments.
These are just a few examples of the potential of this symbiotic relationship between farming and solar energy. In all these examples, collaboration between the two sectors led to increased efficiency and decreased costs, as well as a reduction in the farm’s carbon footprint.
Solar farms and agriculture can also work together to create biodiverse habitats for wildlife. In the UK, energy supplier Ecotricity has installed solar panels in several locations around the country, including Dalby, Leicestershire and Glasowrthy in Devon. The purpose of these ‘sun parks’ is to boost biodiversity, generating solar power whilst allowing the areas to ‘rewild’ — to provide homes for bees and other pollinators. The company has created solar parks and wildflower meadows beneath the solar panels providing homes for butterflies, moths and insects.
Solar power can also generate a new source of income for farms, as well as offer protection from the volatile prices of traditional energy sources such as oil and gas. The UK government offers a tariff which pays farmers for the electricity that their solar farms generate, and this can be a significant amount of money.
Following the closure of the Feed-in Tariff scheme to new applicants in March 2019, the government recognised the need to pay small-scale renewable energy generators for the electricity they export to the National Grid. So the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) introduced the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) in 2020 so solar owners can be paid for any surplus energy fed back into the grid.
