In a new report, government departments have been urged to explore a scheme to "offset" the upfront costs for farmers of installing solar panels through low-interest loans or by selling on excess electricity.

A one-stop shop service should also be developed to "simplify the pathway and support farmers" considering installing solar on their farm, according to the report which was published today (Thursday, March 9) .

The report, Solar Energy and the Agricultural Industry, from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, highlights that on-farm solar energy production technology presents an opportunity to both enhance "family farm incomes and contribute positively to Ireland's emission reduction obligations”.

The author of the report, Sinn Féin's spokesperson on agriculture, Matt Carthy, said the ambition in Ireland must be to "ensure that every single farm has the capacity to generate solar energy".

The TD for Cavan-Monaghan said: "This will assist in reaching our climate action targets and improve farm incomes.“But, presently, there are too many barriers in place at every stage of the process; from planning and financial barriers to installing panels, to obstacles for storage and grid access, to a complex regulatory framework and disparate departmental responsibility relating to regulation, microgeneration and supports.

The report identifies key areas where reform is needed to "incentivise" farmers to invest and adopt solar energy opportunities.

Among the key recommendations put forward in the report include:

That every appropriate farm building has solar panels installed in support of the 2030 emission reduction targets;
The Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Environment, Climate and Communications should enter into dialogue with electricity companies and financial institutions to identify if a scheme could be established to ensure upfront solar installation costs could be offset and repaid through low-interest loans or via a tariff on the excess electricity generated and sold to the national grid;
DAFM should establish a cross-departmental one-stop shop to inform and encourage farmers about solar energy technology opportunities;
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage should exempt solar panels on farm buildings from requiring planning permission;
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications should examine the potential of delivering a mechanism where farmers are able to store excess electricity generated through the national grid and receiving a comparative amount of energy or credit in return.

According to Deputy Carthy one of the key barriers for farmers who may be interested in solar energy is the regulatory processes involved and the need to make it easier for farmers get involved with solar energy projects.

The TD for Cavan-Monaghan said the process needs to be as "streamlined and minimalistic as possible" and that farmers should be able to fully take part "in all microgeneration schemes and maximise their returns".

He also wants to see the tax regime "optimised to incentivise investment and adoption, by farmers".