Agriculture & Farming

Install renewable energy on your farm

How to get planning permission and financial support for solar panels, wind turbines, and other renewable energy on agricultural land. Covers permitted development limits, agricultural land classification, and the Smart Export Guarantee.

UK-wide
Guide summary

You must get planning permission to install solar panels or wind turbines on agricultural land. Check your land grade and grid connection first. Solar on poorer quality land (grade 3b-5) is easier to approve. You can get paid for exporting extra electricity.

  • Check agricultural land grade before planning (grade 3b-5 best)
  • Get planning permission for ground-mounted solar (rooftop may not need)
  • Apply for grid connection early (can take 6-18 months)
  • Small projects under 50kW often get approved
  • Large projects over 5MW need Development Consent Order
  • Get paid for exporting electricity (Smart Export Guarantee)
  • Look into First Year Allowances for tax relief '-'
  • Check local council for///////////////////////////////////////////////-///////////////////////////////////////////////Businessinstal Support///////////////////////////////////////////////-///////////////////////////////////////////////grid
  • Avoid best quality farmland (grade 1-3a) for solar
  • Apply for boiler upgrade grant (£7,500 biomass boilers)
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UK-wide

Related guides in Planning Permission

Grid Connection Agreement

All electricity generators connecting to the GB electricity network require a connection agreement with either NESO (National Energy …

Solar panels, wind turbines, anaerobic digestion, and biomass heating can generate income and reduce energy costs. However, planning requirements vary dramatically by technology and scale.

The generous Feed-in Tariff and Renewable Heat Incentive schemes have closed, but modern projects can still be financially viable through self-consumption savings and export payments.

Planning permission for solar

Agricultural land classification

The government's National Planning Policy Framework discourages solar development on Best and Most Versatile (BMV) agricultural land. In practice:

  • Grade 1-3a land: Solar applications face greater scrutiny - national policy discourages, but does not prohibit, development on BMV land, and Natural England is consulted
  • Grade 3b-5 land: Solar applications have better prospects, though local policies vary
  • Grade unknown: You may need an Agricultural Land Classification survey (£2,000-£5,000) to prove your land qualifies

Consider sheep grazing beneath panels (agrivoltaics) to maintain agricultural use and strengthen planning arguments.

Financial support

Building a business case

Modern renewable projects must stack up financially without generous subsidies. Base your business case on:

  • Self-consumption savings: Value of displacing grid electricity at 20-30p/kWh
  • Export payments: SEG rates vary widely by supplier - the best fixed tariffs pay around 12-16.5p/kWh in 2026 (shop around)
  • Tax reliefs: claim capital allowances on solar through the Annual Investment Allowance (100% up to £1 million) or, for companies, the 50% first-year allowance for special rate assets
  • Long-term security: Protection from rising energy prices over 20+ year system life

Avoid business cases relying on assumed electricity price increases or future subsidy schemes that may never materialise.

Grid connection

For installations above 3.68kW per phase (the 16-amp G98 limit), you'll need to apply to your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) for grid connection approval before installing. This can be a significant cost and delay factor:

  • Application: Submit G99 application to your DNO
  • Timescales: Allow 6-18 months for connection approval on larger schemes
  • Costs: Connection charges vary by location and capacity
  • Constraints: Some areas have grid constraints limiting new connections