Grants towards solar equipment

[Cereal Killer]

I've been watching with interest for the details of the 'Improving farm Productivity' grant to come out as we are interested in installing some solar.

Just published on the defra blog:

'For solar equipment, the minimum grant available is £15,000, with the maximum grant being £100,000. The grant will cover up to 25% of the cost of eligible items'

I'm a bit disappointed tbh!

To me this reads that the minimum spend is £60k which is a big system. Far too big for an average farm.

Do they expect people to do this so they can export? If so, I would imagine the lack of grid connection capacity in rural areas would hamper it?

Just seems like a missed opportunity to make this grant suitable to the majority of farmers.

Or am I missing something?

 

[sjt01]

As we have just got planning permission for an array with a 66kW inverter and an 80 kW array (to get more in winter) I looked at the grant with great hope. At last costings it looks like panels, fixings and inverter will come to under £33k, but the biggest part of the job is removing asbestos cement sheets and replacing with IBR, so total job cost of over £60k but still not eligible.

 

[pappuller]

As we have just got planning permission for an array with a 66kW inverter and an 80 kW array (to get more in winter) I looked at the grant with great hope. At last costings it looks like panels, fixings and inverter will come to under £33k, but the biggest part of the job is removing asbestos cement sheets and replacing with IBR, so total job cost of over £60k but still not eligible.

mate of mine has just installed 190kw array and had 3 phase plumbed in, both eligable for assisstance under new grant scheme

 

[Nitrams]

As we have just got planning permission for an array with a 66kW inverter and an 80 kW array (to get more in winter) I looked at the grant with great hope. At last costings it looks like panels, fixings and inverter will come to under £33k, but the biggest part of the job is removing asbestos cement sheets and replacing with IBR, so total job cost of over £60k but still not 33k sounds a

As we have just got planning permission for an array with a 66kW inverter and an 80 kW array (to get more in winter) I looked at the grant with great hope. At last costings it looks like panels, fixings and inverter will come to under £33k, but the biggest part of the job is removing asbestos cement sheets and replacing with IBR, so total job cost of over £60k but still not eligible.

33k sounds a good price for that size. Is that an installed cost?

 

[sjt01]

33k sounds a good price for that size. Is that an installed cost?

That is components for DIY installation. Since I costed it, apparently panel prices have dropped considerably

 

[Nitrams]

That is components for DIY installation. Since I costed it, apparently panel prices have dropped considerably

Had similar installed 5mnths ago at around £1000/kw installed

 

[upnortheast]

mate of mine has just installed 190kw array and had 3 phase plumbed in, both eligable for assisstance under new grant scheme

Suspect if it's already installed no grant

 

[Hampton]

I've been watching with interest for the details of the 'Improving farm Productivity' grant to come out as we are interested in installing some solar.

Just published on the defra blog:

'For solar equipment, the minimum grant available is £15,000, with the maximum grant being £100,000. The grant will cover up to 25% of the cost of eligible items'

I'm a bit disappointed tbh!

To me this reads that the minimum spend is £60k which is a big system. Far too big for an average farm.

Do they expect people to do this so they can export? If so, I would imagine the lack of grid connection capacity in rural areas would hamper it?

Just seems like a missed opportunity to make this grant suitable to the majority of farmers.

Or am I missing something?

I thought exactly the same.
Apparently it’s aim is to Help farms be self sufficient. Most farms would be self sufficient on a system that costs £15k in total!!
I was as disappointed as you

 

[pappuller]

Suspect if it's already installed no grant

you suspect correctly

 

[pappuller]

I thought exactly the same.
Apparently it’s aim is to Help farms be self sufficient. Most farms would be self sufficient on a system that costs £15k in total!!
I was as disappointed as you

we are looking at a large solar array to assist in reducing our leccy costs currently using a steady 550kw per day but on single phase, will be interested to see where the costings for the whole project sit when a 3 phase connection is priced into the mix and how much grant we could get for both, been advised that batteries on that scale might not be cost effective for us better to oversize the solar and put back any surplus into the grid

 

[daveydiesel1]

we are looking at a large solar array to assist in reducing our leccy costs currently using a steady 550kw per day but on single phase, will be interested to see where the costings for the whole project sit when a 3 phase connection is priced into the mix and how much grant we could get for both, been advised that batteries on that scale might not be cost effective for us better to oversize the solar and put back any surplus into the grid

Iv got solar and batteries, not on that scale but im very happy with the decision to install it and would like some more panels

 

[Hampton]

we are looking at a large solar array to assist in reducing our leccy costs currently using a steady 550kw per day but on single phase, will be interested to see where the costings for the whole project sit when a 3 phase connection is priced into the mix and how much grant we could get for both, been advised that batteries on that scale might not be cost effective for us better to oversize the solar and put back any surplus into the grid

I’m not saying that many farmers won’t have bigger electric requirements, I just don’t know why they have set the entry bar so high

 

[upnortheast]

All seems to be about solar. Which isn't very brilliant on a dairy farm with higher demand in winter.
Wind & hydro out of favour ?
Would have thought a combination of sources would be the answer for year round generation.

 

[Exfarmer]

I’m not saying that many farmers won’t have bigger electric requirements, I just don’t know why they have set the entry bar so high

but all these schemes set the bar for only the largest farmers I believe. Worked on an application for a big heat exchanger for one farmer, a very valuable contribution to reducing energy usage . Only for it to be dismissed as he needed to apply for a minimum of two to bring the scheme big enough

 

[Hampton]

but all these schemes set the bar for only the largest farmers I believe. Worked on an application for a big heat exchanger for one farmer, a very valuable contribution to reducing energy usage . Only for it to be dismissed as he needed to apply for a minimum of two to bring the scheme big enough

Exactly

 

[Still Farming]

With panels so cheap now, bit daft really ?

HDM Solar Panels and Solar Accessories | HDM SOLAR

HDM Solar is one of Yorkshire and the UK's fastest-growing solar panel and renewable energy suppliers. We stock a huge range of premium solar panels, solar inverters, solar batteries, electric vehicle chargers and renewable accessories for a full solar panel installation. We are Humber...

www.hdmsolar.co.uk

 

[Bury the Trash]

With panels so cheap now, bit daft really ?

HDM Solar Panels and Solar Accessories | HDM SOLAR

HDM Solar is one of Yorkshire and the UK's fastest-growing solar panel and renewable energy suppliers. We stock a huge range of premium solar panels, solar inverters, solar batteries, electric vehicle chargers and renewable accessories for a full solar panel installation. We are Humber...

www.hdmsolar.co.uk

is that company for real? almost looks to good to be true?
but trouble is weve been used to looking at grossly inflated prices for so long i guess.

 

[rogeriko]

Thats what panels cost nowadays. Try https://www.cityplumbing.co.uk/c/product/renewables/solar-pv/solar-pv-panels/c/1870007/
But always check the NOCT specs. That is what you will actually get. Nominal Operating Cell Temperature or non laboratory output.

 

[Grassman247]

mate of mine has just installed 190kw array and had 3 phase plumbed in, both eligable for assisstance under new grant scheme

be interested to know more about this we need to do something about our electric use

 

[pappuller]

be interested to know more about this we need to do something about our electric use

leave big leccy use to us bot boys