Electricity is one of the fastest-rising costs on Irish farms so, with the next TAMS 3 grant deadline on December 5, more farmers are looking at solar PV to cut bills and future-proof their farms.

However, optimising the benefits and making it pay long-term takes good planning and practical advice.

What Prosolar offers are solar PV systems built primarily for self-consumption of the electricity generated.

These are systems designed to cut the electricity bill on your farm by reducing the amount of power that must be bought from your electricity supplier.

Electricity generated from on-grid solar PV systems (which are most common) is first directed to your current electrical demand.

If you generate more power than you consume, the excess power can be first charged into a battery and thereafter any additional excess is sold back to the electricity grid and appears as a credit on your electricity bill.

It is worth being aware that the rates paid for exporting a unit of electricity to the grid are expected to fall in future years.

When more solar panels are installed across the country, there will be less demand for the excess power from solar systems when the sun is shining.

It is for this reason that exporting power to the grid should not be relied upon to solely provide the return on investment of a farm’s solar installation.

Battery storage is the answer for future-proofing solar PV systems on farms.

An example of this is on dairy farms, where there is a large electrical demand in the morning and late afternoon for milking and cooling.

Solar panels generate the most electricity in the middle of the day. To consume the power being generated, battery storage is essential to store generated power until the large electrical demand of milking happens later in the afternoon.

Battery storage can also be used to store night-rate electricity, with the batteries being discharged during the day to provide a financial saving from the solar system during winter months, when the solar panels will not perform as well.

Prosolar - solar made simple

This is a new subject for most, but the concepts are straightforward when explained.

Solar is not a one-size-fits-all investment and each farm’s power demand is different.

It is for this reason that Prosolar are running a series of solar farm walks, so that farmers can visit working farms which are already experiencing the benefits of solar.

Despite its rapid payback period (typically less than 3.5 years), Solar PV is an investment, as these systems have a design life of at least 20 years.

With the 60% TAMS 3 grant funding for solar PV systems, it is important to choose a company to install your solar system who understands the technology and how things are likely to change in future years.

At Prosolar, we install the best products, do not take shortcuts on installation quality, and will answer the phone when you call in a number of years’ time and require assistance.

Combined with 40+ years of engineering heritage through our family business RVR Energy Technology, this means practical, no-nonsense guidance which is valued by farmers.

With the TAMS 3 deadline looming, if you are exploring solar and want to understand your options, or see how other farmers are making it work, our agri team are ready to talk.

Proudly supporting farmers across the south-west and south-east of Ireland.