Solar Panels for Livestock Farm Buildings
Purpose-designed solar installations for pig units, cattle barns, sheep housing, and calf rearing buildings. Cut energy costs on ventilation, heating, and feeding systems while improving your farm's sustainability.
Why Livestock Farms Are Ideal for Solar Energy
Livestock farming is one of the most energy-intensive sectors in agriculture. From ventilation fans running around the clock in pig units to heating systems in calf rearing buildings, electricity consumption on a livestock farm can be substantial. Solar panels offer a proven route to reducing these costs, and the large roof areas found on modern livestock buildings make them perfectly suited to high-capacity solar installations.
Understanding Energy Consumption in Livestock Farming
Livestock buildings consume significant amounts of electricity to maintain the controlled environments that animals require for health, welfare, and productive performance. Understanding where your energy goes is the first step toward designing a solar system that delivers maximum value. A typical livestock operation will have several major energy demands running simultaneously, and the combined load often makes solar one of the most cost-effective investments available to the sector.
Our agricultural energy specialists carry out a detailed audit of your farm's electricity consumption before designing your system. This ensures your solar array is sized to match your actual usage profile, maximising self-consumption and delivering the fastest possible payback. Use our solar calculator to get an initial estimate of your potential generation.
Ventilation Systems
10,000 - 30,000 kWh
Per year. Fans, air scrubbers, and climate controllers run continuously in intensive livestock units to maintain air quality and temperature.
Heating Systems
5,000 - 20,000 kWh
Per year. Heat lamps, underfloor heating in farrowing houses, and space heaters in calf rearing buildings are major consumers during colder months.
Feeding Systems
3,000 - 8,000 kWh
Per year. Automated feeding equipment, augers, conveyor systems, and feed milling all draw consistent electrical loads throughout the day.
Lighting
2,000 - 5,000 kWh
Per year. Controlled lighting regimes in poultry and pig housing, along with general working lights in cattle barns and lambing sheds.
Ventilation and Climate Control: The Biggest Energy Demand
Ventilation is not optional in livestock farming. It is essential for removing ammonia and moisture from the air, regulating temperature, and maintaining the conditions that keep animals healthy and productive. In intensive pig units, ventilation systems can account for more than half of the total electricity bill. Cattle barns and calf rearing buildings also rely heavily on fans and air circulation to prevent respiratory disease and heat stress.
Because ventilation demand peaks during warm weather when solar generation is at its highest, the correlation between production and consumption is exceptionally strong. This means a higher proportion of the electricity your panels generate is used directly on site rather than exported to the grid at a lower rate. The result is a faster return on your investment and greater long-term savings.
Our systems are designed to integrate seamlessly with existing ventilation controls, ensuring your animals always receive the air quality they need while your energy costs are significantly reduced. Explore all of our agricultural solar services to see how we can support your operation.
Types of Livestock Buildings Suitable for Solar
We have installed solar systems on a wide variety of livestock buildings across the UK. Each building type presents specific opportunities and considerations that our team addresses during the design phase.
Pig Units
Farrowing houses, grower-finisher buildings, and dry sow housing all benefit from solar. High ventilation and heating demands mean excellent self-consumption rates and rapid payback periods.
- Typical payback: 4-6 years
- High self-consumption due to 24/7 ventilation
Cattle Barns
Beef finishing units, suckler cow housing, and dairy youngstock buildings often have expansive roof areas perfectly oriented for solar panels, delivering substantial generation capacity.
- Large unshaded roof areas
- Strong portal frame construction
Sheep Housing
Lambing sheds and general sheep housing provide seasonal energy demands that pair well with solar. Supplementary heating and lighting during lambing season align with increasing spring solar output.
- Seasonal demand matches solar output
- Export surplus to grid in summer
Calf Rearing Buildings
Purpose-built calf rearing sheds with controlled environments and automated milk feeding systems are significant electricity consumers, making them prime candidates for solar.
- Automated feeding and heating loads
- Year-round electricity demand
Equestrian Stables
Stables, indoor arenas, and yard buildings use electricity for lighting, heating, and hot water. Solar panels reduce running costs and appeal to environmentally conscious livery clients.
- Lighting and hot water savings
- Green credentials for livery business
Mixed Livestock Units
Farms running multiple livestock enterprises across several buildings can connect all structures to a single solar system, optimising generation across the whole holding.
- Multi-building system design
- Diversified demand profile
Biosecurity-Conscious Installation
We recognise that biosecurity is a critical concern for any livestock farmer. Introducing external contractors onto a farm site carries inherent risks, which is why we have developed strict protocols specifically for livestock building installations. Our teams follow farm-specific biosecurity plans, including boot and wheel disinfection, designated access routes, and scheduling work to avoid sensitive periods such as farrowing, lambing, or when young stock are present.
Maintenance visits are planned with the same level of care. We coordinate with you to ensure panel cleaning and inspections are carried out at times that minimise disease transmission risk. Where possible, maintenance is completed from the roof exterior, avoiding any need to enter livestock housing areas.
This biosecurity-first approach extends to our equipment and vehicles. All tools and access equipment are cleaned before arrival, and we operate a policy of attending only one livestock site per day to prevent cross-contamination between farms.
Portal Frame Steel Buildings
The majority of modern livestock buildings in the UK are constructed using portal frame steel, making them structurally well-suited to roof-mounted solar panels. Portal frames distribute loads efficiently along the building's length, and in most cases the existing steelwork can support a solar array without additional reinforcement.
Our structural engineers assess every building individually, examining the frame spacing, purlin sizes, and foundation capacity before confirming the maximum panel weight the roof can carry. For older buildings or those with lighter gauge steel, we can design mounting solutions that spread the load across multiple purlins, or recommend partial roof coverage that stays within the structure's safe working limits.
Roof cladding condition is also evaluated. Where sheets are nearing the end of their life, we can coordinate reroofing and solar installation as a combined project, reducing overall costs and ensuring the new roof is optimised for panel mounting. Contact us to arrange a structural assessment of your livestock buildings.
Livestock Farm Solar Savings Example
In a sector where profit margins are notoriously tight, reducing energy costs can make a meaningful difference to the viability of a livestock enterprise. Here is a representative example based on a medium-sized pig finishing unit.
Before Solar
- Annual electricity consumption 45,000 kWh
- Average electricity cost 30p/kWh
- Annual electricity bill £13,500
- Carbon emissions 10.4 tonnes CO2/year
After 50kWp Solar System
- Annual solar generation 42,500 kWh
- Self-consumption rate 75%
- Annual savings £11,200
- Estimated payback period 4-5 years
Savings include grid import reduction and Smart Export Guarantee payments. Actual results vary based on system size, location, and energy usage patterns.
How Reduced Energy Costs Improve Margins in Tight Livestock Markets
Livestock farming in the UK operates on some of the tightest margins in agriculture. Whether you are finishing pigs, rearing calves, or running a sheep enterprise, the difference between profit and loss can come down to pence per kilogram. Energy is one of the few overhead costs that solar can substantially reduce without changing your production system or stocking density.
A 50kWp solar system on a pig finishing unit saving over eleven thousand pounds per year is equivalent to the profit margin on a significant number of finished pigs. That saving goes straight to the bottom line and is locked in for the 25-plus year lifespan of the panels. Unlike market prices, which fluctuate unpredictably, your solar savings are predictable and increase in value as grid electricity prices rise.
For farms that cannot justify the upfront capital expenditure, a Power Purchase Agreement allows you to benefit from reduced electricity costs from day one with no investment required. We also offer a range of financing options designed specifically for agricultural businesses, ensuring solar is accessible regardless of your cash flow position.
Ready to Reduce Energy Costs on Your Livestock Farm?
Get in touch with our agricultural solar specialists for a free, no-obligation assessment of your livestock buildings. We will show you exactly how much you can save.
Livestock Farm Solar: Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about installing solar panels on livestock buildings.
Discuss Your Livestock Building Project
Every livestock farm is different. Whether you run a 500-sow pig unit, a 200-head calf rearing operation, or a hill sheep farm with lambing sheds, we will design a solar system tailored to your specific energy needs and building configuration.
Why Choose Us for Livestock Buildings?
- Biosecurity-conscious installation and maintenance protocols
- Experience with portal frame steel buildings and agricultural roofing
- Understanding of livestock ventilation and environmental control systems
- Flexible financing and PPA options for agricultural businesses