Renewable Energy for
Yorkshire Farms

Protecting Farm Margins Across Yorkshire

Agriculture is one of England's most energy-intensive industries. With margins squeezed by volatile utility prices — electricity costs have risen over 70% since 2021 — generating your own power is no longer a nice-to-have. It is essential for future-proofing your farm business.

YEERS works with farms across the Yorkshire Wolds, East Riding, and North Yorkshire. We are an NFU listed business, and we understand that agricultural buildings have requirements that differ fundamentally from commercial premises — from ammonia resistance in livestock sheds to the structural limitations of older Dutch barn frames and the planning rules specific to agricultural permitted development.

High Energy Farm Operations We Power

Different farm enterprises have different energy profiles. YEERS analyses your half-hourly meter data or estimated consumption to size the system precisely to your loads:

• Grain Drying: Continuous-flow driers running at 30-75kW are the highest-value solar load on an arable farm. Most drying happens in September-November, which coincides with strong solar generation. A correctly sized system can offset 60-80% of drying costs.
• Automated Milking Units: Robotic milking systems running 24 hours require 8-18kW of continuous power. Solar combined with battery storage can reduce grid dependency across a 24-hour cycle.
• Cold Storage & Refrigeration: Cold rooms for produce, pharmaceutical storage for veterinary supplies, and chilled processing areas maintain consistent daytime loads well-matched to solar generation profiles.
• Poultry Ventilation: Broiler and layer units require constant ventilation. Variable-speed fan drives are particularly well-suited to solar generation curves, where fan speed can be adjusted to match available solar output.
• EV Farm Vehicles: Electric farm machinery, utility vehicles, and fleet charging can all be powered by on-site solar, eliminating red diesel costs on lighter equipment.
• Farm Offices & Worker Accommodation: Including on-site solar generation in planning for new or converted farm buildings significantly reduces long-term running costs.

Ground Mount Options for Marginal Land

If your roof space is limited, unsuitable, or structurally compromised from decades of agricultural use, we can install ground-mounted arrays on marginal land. These systems are easy to maintain, can be scaled to megawatt capacity with sufficient grid connection, and under 1MW qualify as Class B permitted development on most agricultural units — meaning no full planning application is required.

Modern agrivoltaic design allows the land beneath and between panel rows to continue supporting grass for sheep grazing or wildflower meadows. We use post-driven aluminium foundations to minimise soil disturbance and preserve drainage. The Humber Freeport's East Riding tax zone covers parts of the East Yorkshire agricultural corridor, where Enhanced Capital Allowances can further accelerate the financial case for ground-mount installations.

Tax and Financial Incentives for Farming Businesses

Agricultural solar benefits from some of the most attractive tax treatment of any capital investment:

• 100% Annual Investment Allowance (AIA): The full capital cost can be offset against taxable farm profits in year one, delivering immediate tax savings of 19-45% depending on whether you operate as a limited company or sole trader/partnership.
• Smart Export Guarantee (SEG): Excess generation exported to the grid earns 3-15p/kWh. For larger arable systems with seasonal generation peaks, export income can add £3,000-£12,000 annually.
• Business Rates Exemption: Solar panels on agricultural buildings are exempt from business rates, unlike some commercial property additions.
• Rural Development Funding: Some Countryside Stewardship capital grants can support on-farm renewable energy. We assist with applications through the Rural Payments Agency.