180 kW Norfolk free-range egg unit — multi-shed install

Client: Free-range egg producer (350,000 hens) Location: North Norfolk Vertical: Poultry Sheds System size: 180 kW across two free-range egg sheds Annual generation: 172,000 kWh Annual saving: £39,500 Simple payback: 5.6 years

A North Norfolk free-range egg producer running 350,000 laying hens across two clear-span insulated sheds, each 80m × 22m with high year-round ventilation and lighting loads. Annual electricity spend before install: £58,000. Operating under RSPCA Assured and Lion Quality scheme membership, with major UK retailer supply contracts that increasingly reference Scope 2 supplier disclosure.

180 kW rooftop PV installed across both sheds — 330 modules in total, two string inverters per shed, all wired to the central control building’s main switchboard. Install delivered under full Avian Influenza biosecurity protocols (boot dips, restricted access lanes, cleaning station, all-team daily decontamination) in a six-week window between flock changeovers.

The system achieves 78% self-consumption thanks to continuous ventilation and lighting baseload across both sheds. First-year generation came in at 172,000 kWh against a modelled 175,000 kWh. The remainder exports under SEG at 12p/kWh average.

Annual savings of approximately £39,500 in year one across cost avoidance and export income. Simple payback at 5.6 years; 100% AIA tax relief applied year one against the farming partnership’s trading profit. The retailer’s supplier audit team referenced the install in the 2025 supply review, contributing to a contract extension on terms that explicitly recognise documented Scope 2 reductions.