Solar Panels for Grain Stores
Specialist solar installations designed for grain stores and arable farm buildings. Cut grain drying and storage costs with purpose-built systems that pay back within 5-7 years.
Why Grain Stores Are Excellent Candidates for Solar
Of all the farm building types we work with across the UK, grain stores consistently rank as some of the strongest candidates for solar panel installation. The structural characteristics of modern grain stores - large, uninterrupted south-facing roof spans with minimal obstructions from chimneys, dormers, or rooflights - provide an almost ideal platform for a high-capacity solar array. A typical medium-sized grain store will offer 400 to 800 square metres of usable roof space, comfortably accommodating systems of 40 kW to 100 kW or more on a single roof pitch.
The seasonal alignment between solar generation and grain drying demand is one of the most compelling arguments for solar on arable farms. Peak solar irradiance in the UK runs from May through to September, coinciding almost exactly with the grain drying season that typically runs from late July through to October. During harvest, when combine harvesters are running 14 to 16 hours a day and dryers are operating continuously, your solar system is generating at or near its maximum output. This synchronisation means you can directly displace expensive grid electricity with zero-cost solar electricity at precisely the moment your farm needs it most.
The grain dryer is, without question, the single biggest electricity cost on most arable farms. A batch dryer handling 30 tonnes per load typically draws between 45 kW and 90 kW of electrical power during operation. A continuous flow dryer processing 10 to 15 tonnes per hour may draw 60 kW to 120 kW. Over a full harvest, these dryers can consume 30,000 to 80,000 kWh of electricity, representing electricity costs of 7,500 to 22,000 pounds at current tariff rates. Solar panels cannot eliminate this cost entirely, but a properly sized system can make a material reduction in a farm's annual electricity bill and significantly improve the economics of on-farm grain storage.
Beyond the dryer itself, grain stores run aeration fans throughout the storage season to maintain grain temperature and quality, conveyors and augers to move grain at intake and dispatch, and weighbridges, office equipment, and security lighting throughout the year. These loads combine to make arable farms with grain stores among the highest electricity consumers in UK agriculture. You can compare grain store solar with other options in our arable farm solar overview, or use our solar savings calculator to model your specific situation.
Energy Consumption in Grain Storage Operations
Understanding the full picture of electricity consumption across a grain storage operation is essential to designing a solar system that delivers genuine financial benefit. The loads vary dramatically across the year, with the vast majority of consumption concentrated into a 10 to 14 week harvest window. Here is how energy usage typically breaks down on an arable farm with on-farm grain storage:
Grain Drying
The grain dryer dominates the electricity bill on any arable farm that dries its own grain. Depending on the harvest moisture content and the tonnage handled, drying typically consumes 50 to 150 kWh per tonne dried. A farm drying 500 tonnes at an average moisture of 18% may consume 30,000 to 50,000 kWh in a single season. In a wet harvest year, when grain comes off the field at 22% or higher, these figures can increase substantially.
Aeration Fans
Once grain is dried and placed in store, aeration fans run intermittently from harvest through to the following spring or summer to maintain grain temperature below 15 degrees Celsius. This protects quality and discourages mite and insect activity. Fan systems for a 1,000 tonne flat-floor store typically draw 5 to 15 kW continuously during cooling cycles, accumulating 3,000 to 8,000 kWh per storage season.
Conveyors, Augers and Elevators
Moving grain at intake from the combine or trailer, between storage bays, and to the loading bay at dispatch requires a network of conveyors, augers, and bucket elevators. These typically draw 5 to 30 kW each depending on their capacity and length. During busy intake periods multiple machines run simultaneously, creating demand spikes that coincide with peak solar generation hours on sunny harvest days.
Weighbridge and Office Equipment
Weighbridges, grain moisture testing equipment, computers, lighting, and security systems create a modest but year-round base load. These loads are small individually but run continuously, consuming 2,000 to 5,000 kWh per year and providing a useful base for self-consuming solar electricity outside the harvest season.
System Sizing Guide
Grain store solar systems are sized around both available roof area and the electrical demand of your drying equipment. The following tiers give a practical starting point for most arable operations.
For a system recommendation tailored to your dryer type, storage capacity, and roof orientation, request a free site survey from our agricultural solar team.
Small Grain Store
Up to 500 tonnes capacity
20-40 kW
- Approximately 50-96 panels required
- Roof area needed: 80-160 m2
- Annual generation: 19,000-38,000 kWh
- Suits smaller batch dryers up to 40 kW draw
- Typical savings: 3,600-7,200 per year
Medium Grain Store
1,000-1,500 tonnes capacity
40-80 kW
- Approximately 96-192 panels required
- Roof area needed: 160-320 m2
- Annual generation: 38,000-76,000 kWh
- Suits continuous flow dryers and dual intake lines
- Typical savings: 7,200-14,400 per year
Large Grain Store
3,000+ tonnes capacity
80-150 kW
- 192+ panels, typically installed in phases
- Grid connection upgrade advice included
- Annual generation: 76,000-142,500 kWh
- DNO G99 application management included
- Typical savings: 14,400-27,000 per year
Systems above 50 kW require a G99 application to your Distribution Network Operator (DNO). We manage this process on your behalf as part of every installation. For large-scale projects, we also offer Power Purchase Agreements and agricultural solar financing so that upfront capital is not a barrier.
Export Tariffs and Seasonal Generation
The energy profile of a grain store is unlike almost any other farm enterprise. During harvest - typically July through to September in England - the grain dryer, fans, conveyors, and elevators run at full capacity, drawing enormous amounts of electricity and consuming virtually everything your solar system generates. Self-consumption rates of 80 to 95 percent are common during this period on well-sized systems, meaning almost no electricity is wasted through low-rate export.
The picture changes significantly once harvest is complete. From October through to June, the dryer is idle and the grain store's electrical demand drops to aeration fans and background loads. During these eight months, a high proportion of solar generation - which continues year-round, albeit at reduced levels in winter - will be surplus to immediate requirements and exported to the grid.
This is where the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) becomes important. All UK energy suppliers with more than 150,000 customers are legally required to offer an export tariff, and current SEG rates from leading suppliers range from 4p to 15p per kWh. For a 50 kW system generating 47,500 kWh per year with 20,000 kWh exported outside the harvest season, SEG income can add 800 to 3,000 pounds per year to your financial return, depending on the tariff you secure.
Battery storage offers an alternative or complementary strategy, shifting surplus daytime generation into the evening for loads such as grain temperature monitoring systems, security lighting, and office equipment. Batteries also provide resilience against grid outages during harvest, which can otherwise halt drying operations at a critical time. We model the battery storage case as part of every large grain store proposal.
Typical Grain Store Generation Profile
Figures are illustrative. Actual self-consumption depends on system size relative to dryer demand, storage tonnage, and weather. Battery storage increases self-consumption rates outside harvest season.
Outside harvest, surplus solar can earn income through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). We set up your export meter and SEG application as part of the installation.
Grain Store Solar Case Study
400 Tonne Grain Store, Lincolnshire
This arable farming partnership in Lincolnshire was spending over 11,000 pounds per year on electricity, primarily driven by a continuous flow dryer processing wheat and oilseed rape across a 10-week harvest window. The grain store roof offered an unobstructed south-facing span of approximately 220 square metres, ideal for a mid-range system. We designed and installed a 50 kW array across the main store roof, wired directly into the dryer supply panel to maximise self-consumption during harvest.
Total 25-Year Benefit
242,000+
in electricity savings and export income over the system's 25-year design life
"Solar has changed how we think about harvest. The dryer running costs used to keep us up at night in a wet year. Now we know the sun is offsetting a big chunk of that regardless of the weather. It just makes financial sense."
- Arable Farmer, Lincolnshire
Want to see what solar could save on your grain store?
Calculate Your SavingsGrain Store Solar: Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions from arable farmers considering solar for their grain store buildings.
Ready to Reduce Your Grain Drying Costs?
Get a free site survey and detailed financial projection for your grain store. Our agricultural solar specialists understand the seasonal energy demands of arable farming.
Discuss Your Grain Store Solar Project
Every grain store operation is different. Your dryer type, storage capacity, roof orientation, and grid connection all influence the optimal system design. We take the time to understand your arable operation in detail before making any recommendations, ensuring the system we design genuinely performs for your farm rather than a generic template.
Whether you have a single on-farm store or a commercial grain handling complex, our agricultural solar team has the experience to design a system that delivers strong financial returns year after year. Read more about our wider arable farm solar services, explore agricultural solar financing, or get in touch to arrange your free site survey.
What Your Free Site Survey Includes
- Full structural assessment of your grain store roof and building condition
- Detailed energy audit using your dryer specification and electricity bill data
- Shading analysis and roof orientation modelling using specialist solar design software
- DNO grid connection assessment and G99 capacity check for larger systems
- Battery storage modelling to assess whether adding storage improves your return
- Comprehensive financial projection including payback period, ROI, and 25-year benefit estimate
- Guidance on roof suitability and any remedial work required before installation