Egg producers are sometimes told that the Lion scheme "increasingly includes" on-farm solar. This page records what the British Lion Code of Practice page says, read on 29 October 2026.
What the British Lion page says
The British Lion page describes a code that "covers the entire production chain and ensures strict food safety controls", requires hens to be vaccinated against Salmonella, uses a passport system so hens, eggs and feed are traceable, and is independently audited to ISO 17065.
The page does not mention renewable energy or solar. It links to a sustainability page, which was not read in detail, so the code's environmental content is not covered by this guide.
A rooftop array on a poultry shed is therefore a building, electrical and insurance decision, not something the code page asks for. For the building side see solar panel fire risk on farm buildings and solar panel insurance for farm buildings.
| Point on this page | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Code covers the production chain and food safety controls; hens vaccinated against Salmonella; traceability passport | British Lion eggs, egginfo.co.uk | 29 Oct 2026 |
| Independently audited to ISO 17065 | British Lion eggs, egginfo.co.uk | 29 Oct 2026 |
| No mention of renewable energy or solar on the page read | British Lion eggs, egginfo.co.uk | 29 Oct 2026 |
What to ask before you plan around the scheme
- Ask your assessor, certification body or buyer in writing whether a rooftop array changes anything in your audit; do not assume it earns credit.
- Keep meter readings and generation records: they are the evidence any energy or carbon question will ask for.
- Treat the array as a building and electrical project first: roof condition (solar panels on asbestos cement farm roofs), fire design (solar panel fire risk on farm buildings), insurer (solar panel insurance for farm buildings) and planning (planning permission for solar on farm buildings).
For the numbers behind any array, start with the farm solar cost guide and grants and funding; for the roof, solar panel weight and roof loading.
Common questions
Does the British Lion code require solar panels?
The code page read does not mention solar or renewable energy. It describes food safety, vaccination, traceability and audit.
Who audits the Lion code?
The page says the scheme is independently audited to ISO 17065. It does not name the auditor.
Other farm assurance and sustainability pages
The same sourced format for the other schemes farms are asked about: