Solar PV for farms.
Large, unobstructed roof space makes farms ideal for solar PV. Whether you are powering refrigeration, grain dryers, ventilation or machinery, solar significantly cuts daytime electricity bills and reduces carbon emissions across your operation.
If you installed solar under the old Feed-in Tariff (FiT), we can remove and recycle those legacy panels and replace them with modern, higher-efficiency modules through certified recycling partners.
If you increase your system size, we’ll register the upgraded system under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), without losing your FiT on the original system size. The SEG pays less than FiT but still provides a return on any exported electricity, and we ensure all metering and compliance requirements are met.
We’ll also enter the DNO application on your behalf, and follow it up so you can be connected to the grid as soon as possible.
Ground-mounted solar.
While agricultural land is important for food production, if you need more energy for your production, ground-mounted solar could be a solution. Carbon3 understands the need to retain the most fertile land for farming, so we can work with you to decide what the best installation position and size would be.
You can also utilise ground mounted land for solar grazing, where your farm animals can eat vegetation below your solar installation. This way, they act as natural lawnmowers while being protected from harsh weather.
Battery storage for on-farm energy resilience.
Agriculture has heavy, time-specific energy loads, including refrigeration at night, milking or processing early in the morning, irrigation cycles and automation. By pairing PV with battery storage, farms can store excess daytime generation to support energy-intensive overnight operations.
Even without solar, battery storage gives you the option to make use of peak shaving to avoid demand charges and load shifting to avoid peak costs. It will also keep you operational in the case of grid outages and blackouts.
Our team designs systems based on your real load profile, rather than a generic storage size, so you get the maximum return per kWh stored.
EV charging for farm vehicles and staff.
Electric UTVs, vans and machinery are becoming more common across rural estates. Staff, visitors and contractors also benefit from access to EV charging.
We install robust chargers suitable for rural environments, with load balancing and tariff control. Using the Carbon3 App, you can set different tariffs for each user group, for example, free or cost-price charging for farm vehicles and higher rates for visitors or public users to generate additional revenue.
Funding support for agricultural renewables.
We help farms secure relevant funding or finance options, including providing competitive PPAs for solar arrays, advice on local or regional grant schemes, and capital allowance opportunities for energy-saving technologies.
Power purchase agreements (PPAs) mean you can install through our funding partners with no upfront capex, purchasing the electricity back at an agreed, lower than grid rate.
We can also model payback periods under PPA, SEG and high self-consumption scenarios so you have a clear financial picture before investing.
Operations & Maintenance for agricultural sites.
Most farms already have solar, batteries or older hybrid systems, but many lack reliable, specialist O&M support.
Carbon3 provides long-term, whole-site O&M including:
- Remote monitoring to catch faults quickly
- Inverter, battery and system diagnostics
- Panel cleaning and preventative maintenance
- Vegetation management for ground-mount arrays
- Rapid on-site response from cross-trained engineers
- Stocked vans with the parts most commonly needed on rural sites
- Lifecycle planning, including legacy panel removal and certified recycling
- SEG/PPA reporting and export meter support
Our O&M team does not work on installations, so response times are among the fastest in the industry. We also hold regional stock and follow a right parts in the van model, designed specifically to avoid long downtime on remote sites.
Why agriculture is accelerating renewable adoption.
Grid constraints, planning complexity and the end of the Feed-in Tariff have slowed growth in some regions, but most farms now see renewables as essential. Solar Energy UK and NFU industry surveys show grid connection delays remain the biggest barrier, O&M reliability is a growing priority, and energy resilience is now a top driver alongside cost savings
Carbon3’s approach is built to solve these issues, from navigating DNO constraints to providing dependable long-term maintenance.
Why Choose Carbon3?
Choosing Carbon3 means partnering with a leader in renewable energy services committed to sustainability, innovation, and exceptional customer care.
