Two years ago tillage and livestock farmer George Byrne from Co Carlow decided to invest in solar panels.
He installed panels on his roofs hoping the investment would make a real impact on reducing his bills and his carbon footprint.
It did. “We were looking for way to run the business in a more efficient way and to reduce the carbon footprint of the farm. We have 44 panels on the roof of one of the grain sheds and we are currently producing 82% of our energy need from solar,” says George.
“We use energy for cooling grain, processing it and for lighting cattle sheds and running machine workshops and solar works really well in our system.”
The idea of going the solar route came to George through time spent on the Environment Committee of the IFA and he says choosing to install solar panels is a ‘no-brainer.’
“You’re getting a damn good return for your investment. The installation will last 30 years and as well as everything else you can cushion yourself against energy shocks.”
Another bonus for George comes from the fact that he is now selling excess power back to the grid, for which he expects to get payment. “We’re exporting power at times our batteries are full and we are not using it ourselves.”
Later today farmers from around Leinster and Muster will visit George’s farm to see how he has benefitted from solar energy and to hear from experts about the installation costs, grants and how long it takes to recoup the investment.
The event is being run by the IFA which is actively encouraging farmers to embark on the solar journey.
The farming organisation has an aggreement with Bord Gáís Energy on supplying systems to farms.
IFA official James Kelly said: “While there is massive interest in solar energy and its potential on Irish farms, there is also a lot of uncertainty, given that it’s a technology many farmers are unfamiliar with. There is no substitute for seeing something in action first-hand. Regarding the business case, the timing has never been better for farmers to invest in rooftop solar.
“Changes to TAMS grants and other barriers to entry mean IFA and Bord Gáis Energy are seeing an average farm payback of two to four years and average annual savings of c.€4k – €6k. These are averages; there are some very short paybacks and significantly more savings in many cases, reinforcing the case for solar.”
TAMS (Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme) grants from the Department of Agriculture are available to cover up to 60% of costs for both panels and storage batteries for installations costing up to €90,000.
However, grant aid may only be used for installations providing energy used on the farm. If farmers want to export electricity to the grid, they must pay for additional solar installation costs which will not be grant aided.
There have already been 1,700 applications for solar grants under the TAMS scheme.
