For generations, farmers have been asked to get more from the same resources. More productivity from every acre, more efficiency from every input and more resilience from businesses exposed to changing markets, weather and costs. Energy is becoming part of that equation.
For farms with significant electricity demand, and for landowners with underused space near major energy users, onsite renewable energy is creating a different way to think about agricultural assets. A roof is no longer just shelter. A yard is not simply operational space. And a piece of dormant land may have a role to play in the energy system developing around it.
EDF power solutions' Onsite Power team works with businesses and landowners to explore how those assets could support renewable generation whilst protecting budgets and enabling more resilient energy strategies.
For some farmers, the opportunity starts with what is happening behind the meter.
Modern agriculture can be remarkably energy intensive. Dairy operations, poultry units, cold stores, grain drying, irrigation, controlled-environment farming, refrigeration, packing and food processing can all create substantial electricity demand. That demand has traditionally been viewed as a cost to manage. Onsite generation asks a more interesting question: how much of that energy could be produced where it is actually needed?
Solar generation installed on suitable roofs or land can allow businesses to consume renewable electricity directly within their operations. For farms with consistent daytime demand, that can make onsite infrastructure particularly relevant, while also supporting longer-term ambitions around energy resilience and carbon reduction. But the opportunity does not end with farms that consume large amounts of power themselves. Across the UK, manufacturers, logistics facilities, food processors, distribution centres and other energy-intensive businesses are looking for credible ways to protect their budget and decarbonise. Some have the appetite for renewable electricity, but not necessarily the space to generate enough of it.
That changes the conversation for landowners.
A parcel of suitable land close to a major energy user may have strategic value beyond its traditional agricultural use. In the right location, and subject to planning, grid, environmental and commercial considerations, land can potentially support renewable infrastructure connected to the businesses operating nearby.
It means the question is no longer simply "How much energy does my farm use?" It can also become "Who around me needs energy, and could my land form part of the solution?"
That matters particularly within food and agriculture where decarbonising the food system cannot sit with farmers alone. The carbon associated with food continues through processing, refrigeration, manufacturing, storage and distribution. If the industry is serious about reducing supply-chain emissions, energy generation needs to become part of the conversation from farm gate to factory floor.
EDF power solutions is already helping businesses put that principle into practice.
At Pilgrim's Europe's Bromborough site, a 405.48 kWp rooftop solar system was installed using 744 solar PV modules. The project is expected to save approximately 156 tonnes of CO₂ each year, while transforming previously unused roof space into an energy-generating asset.
The project forms part of a wider solar programme across Pilgrim's Europe sites, with approximately 2.4 MW of combined capacity. Over 20 years, the systems are expected to generate around 10.25 GWh of renewable electricity.
Crucially, the Bromborough project was delivered through a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement, enabling Pilgrim's Europe to access renewable electricity without the upfront capital expenditure normally associated with purchasing the installation. It is a useful example because the technology is only part of the story.
The bigger shift is in mindset: seeing energy infrastructure not as something separate from the core business, but as something that can strengthen it and for farmers and landowners, that creates an opportunity worth exploring.
The most valuable energy asset on a farm may not be something that needs to be bought, it may already be sitting above your head, beside your buildings or quietly occupying a piece of land you have stopped noticing.
Want to talk through your options? Register for a FREE 15-minute consultation with one of our experts at the Farm Business Innovation Show on Wednesday 4 November.
