By unlocking the export potential China offers the pig industry, not to mention the red meat sector as a whole, we could gain entry into a marketplace which comprises a fifth of the world’s population.Farmers set to cash in on solar boom
SOLAR energy could be the next major UK cash crop after a survey revealed eight out of ten farmers would consider installing solar photovoltaics on their roofs within the next three years.
The technology has become an enticing prospect for farmers attempting to guard against rising electricity prices and take advantage of Government incentives.
Farmers can earn up to £16,000 a year from solar energy and save over £1,800 in electricity bills, according to solar energy specialist Solarcentury, thanks to the Government’s green agenda which offers a feed-in tariff (FIT) of 31.4 pence per unit of solar electricity generated.
Even though capital costs can be as high as £200,000 for a medium-sized farm solar roof, Derry Newman, Solarcentury CEO, said the economic returns were becoming hard to resist for UK farmers hoping to get ‘a maximum return from their property’.
“Sustainable farming is at the core of a healthy future for the UK, and it’s great to see farmers recognising the opportunity they now have with solar,” he said.
Dr Jonathan Scurlock, NFU renewable energy advisor, agreed more farmers should follow in the footsteps of Michael Eavis, the host of Glastonbury Festival, who installed photovoltaics on his cow shed earlier this year.
“Agricultural and horticultural buildings present ideal platforms for solar PV, and small-to-medium sized roof-mounted systems are likely to be an attractive investment,” he said.
Solarcentury conducted the survey of 130 farmers with Farming Futures, a pan-industry body that tackles climate change.
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Readers' comments (3)
Paul Hewart | 21 January 2011 2:34 pm
Should be pointed out that this article is heavily biased towards one solar company, who we found to be the most expensive option - seems they subcontract the work out and add a heavy margin. We found prices to average out about 15-20% lower than Solar Century, by going elsewhere. We received quotes from Ploughcroft Solar, Igen Energy and EvoEnergy. My advice would be to shop around.
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Oliver Sylvester-Bradley | 24 January 2011 5:25 pm
Hi Paul,
I work for Solarcentury and have just sold the UK's first 100kWp fully integrated solar roof to a farmer who went out and got four quotes and found us to be the cheapest. We will be installing this job directly, with our own installers, not using subcontractors as you suggest.
I'm surprised you found our quote to be so much more expensive and would point out that every job is different and requires a detailed site visit before an accurate quote can be issued. You can contact Solarcentury on 02078030100 and we will be more than happy to help.
All the best
Oliver
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Ted Warrilow | 4 May 2011 8:42 pm
Please note Solyndra's unique photovoltaic technology. The light weight of our product makes it ideally suitable for greenhouse applications:
http://www.solyndra.com/technology-products/greenhouse/
The cylindrical shape allows collection of light from 360 degrees, alleviating the need for angling, and allows wind to pass through the cylinders, alleviating the need to anchor the product to the roof and alleviating the issue of dirt accumulation.
Here is an article which further elaborates:
http://www.cbpmagazine.com/article.php?articleid=446
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or the author of the article, David Miller, at (510) 440-2979 or david.miller@solyndra.com.
Thank you!
ted.warrilow@solyndra.com
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