Russell Andrews
Agrivoltaics means combining solar generation with continued agricultural use of the same land - grazing sheep beneath a solar array, or positioning panels to give crops useful shade rather than taking a field out of production entirely. For UK farmers facing both rising energy costs and pressure on farmland, it's a genuine way to add income without giving up the land's primary use.
By Russell Andrews
What this actually looks like in practice
The most common UK form is solar grazing - sheep or poultry grazing the ground beneath and between panel rows, which keeps vegetation managed without machinery and lets the land keep producing. Crop-based agrivoltaics, where panels are raised and spaced to let arable or horticultural crops grow underneath, is less widespread here but growing, particularly for shade-tolerant crops.
Some conventional ground-mounted solar farms also support livestock grazing. The important distinction is how the project is designed and managed to keep agricultural activity viable alongside electricity generation. Growing crops beneath panels can require different heights, spacing and access arrangements from a grazing-based layout.
The government's Solar Roadmap explicitly recognises continued livestock grazing at many solar projects. Source: UK Solar Roadmap.
Planning a project that keeps farming viable
Keeping land in agricultural use can strengthen the explanation of a project's benefits, but it does not automatically secure planning permission. In England, planning guidance asks authorities to consider whether agricultural use can continue alongside solar generation, together with land quality, landscape effects, heritage and other site-specific impacts.
Planning rules differ across the UK. We recommend discussing the proposed layout and continued farming activity with the relevant planning authority before committing to a detailed design.
Source: Government planning guidance for large-scale ground-mounted solar, paragraph 013.
Check funding against the specific project
Farm funding depends on the scheme, location, application window and type of installation. Support for panels on agricultural buildings should not be assumed to cover panels installed across a field.
In England, round 2 of the Improving Farm Productivity grant is closed to applications. Its solar funding covered eligible installations on farm-building rooftops and irrigation reservoirs, but excluded ground-mounted arrays.
Before including a grant in the business case, check the scheme's official guidance for eligible equipment, application deadlines and any requirement to obtain approval before spending. Treat funding as unconfirmed until an award has been agreed.
Sources: Rural Payments Agency's grant rules and closure notice, and official SFI26 guidance.
What actually makes a site suitable
Not every field is a good agrivoltaics candidate. Grid connection capacity and distance from the nearest suitable substation is often the single biggest practical constraint, and can make an otherwise ideal field unviable or push project costs up significantly. Beyond grid access, worth assessing honestly before committing time to a proposal:
| Consideration | Why it matters |
| Grid connection capacity | Often the deciding factor on viability and project cost, more than the land itself |
| Existing land use | Grazing land adapts more easily than land already in intensive arable use |
| Panel height and spacing | Needs to suit whichever livestock or crop will share the land, not a generic layout |
| Soil and drainage | Needs managing carefully during installation to avoid long-term damage to the land's agricultural value |
The honest trade-offs
An agrivoltaic project needs a business case that works alongside the farm's existing operations. Assess installation and grid-connection costs, expected electricity generation, maintenance and the effect on agricultural income. Include grant support only once eligibility and funding have been confirmed.
The layout also needs to accommodate grazing or crop management, machinery access and seasonal work. Compare the expected energy benefits with these costs and practical demands before deciding whether the project suits the farm.
Considering solar on farm or rural land? Request a free quote and our agriculture and rural solar team can talk through whether your specific land and current use makes sense for this.