Solar PV: What are the financial and installation options?

Climate change is on the national and global agenda, and the farming community is keen to make sustainable choices and reduce its carbon footprint; one way being solar PV.

Changing to renewable energy is a great way to start. Not only will you save energy with cleaner, greener operations – but you will save money as well.

Electric Ireland recently launched a solar photovoltaic (PV) product specifically for Irish farms.

Solar PV is well suited and highly recommended for energy-intensive operations such as milking parlours. Farms can also avail of diverters to heat water on-site using solar energy and install a battery storage system to ensure maximum savings.

With solar PV prices at an all-time low, and a lot of financial incentives in place to help you make the change, now is a good time to talk through your options.

5 steps to installing solar PV

Installing solar PV is a straightforward process – see the simple 5-step guide below.

1. Log on to Electric Ireland’s farm page and request a callback. Or, if you prefer, give them a call on 1800 372 333;

2. A solar technician will call you back to discuss the technical details of solar PV and answer your questions about solar and battery options for your farm.

They will do a desktop survey and can take a look (remotely) at your shed roofs to see how suitable they are for rooftop solar.

The technician will explain the financial incentives of installing solar PV – including an interest-free payment plan and discounts, grants available and tax entitlements.

At the moment, Electric Ireland are offering an exclusive 10% discount to customers on farm rooftop solar and battery installations.

Anyone switching to Electric Ireland can get a welcome bonus, together with Electric Ireland’s 10% discount on its solar PV offering, its interest-free payment scheme and the availability of a Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) grant – the financial incentives are attractive.

3. The technician will visit your farm to carry out a detailed site survey and advise you on the best design options, such as the size of the PV array best suited to your needs. This site survey is free of charge and will take place on a day that suits your schedule.

To make sure you get the most savings possible, the technician will recommend a design based around your farm using the maximum amount of electricity generated.

They will also look at your existing electrical installations and assess the health and safety risks on the farm. Health and safety is a top priority at Electric Ireland.

The technician will explain how you can monitor the solar PV and track power usage using a complimentary app;

4. After the site survey, you will be sent a quotation.

One thing to note: An exact quotation cannot be given beforehand, as every farm is different and your package will be tailored for you;

5. If you decide to invest in a solar package and the contracts are signed, an installation date will be agreed.

Installations on a farm normally take between one and three days, depending on the site and array size.

An installation plan will be made beforehand, taking into consideration that working farms are busy locations with lots of machinery and animal movement.

Once the installation is tested and commissioned, Electric Ireland will give you a customer handover.