Why solar PV makes economic sense for this sector
UK hop production is concentrated in Kent, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and a smaller acreage in Sussex. The sector combines traditional hop drying (oast houses) with modern brewing-quality production — both with significant solar PV opportunities.
What this sector typically operates
Hop farms typically operate: hop yards (vine-grown trellis structures with no solar relevance); oast houses (traditional drying kilns, increasingly with high heat demand); processing and storage buildings; on-farm brewery facilities where present. Modern hop production has shifted significantly toward mechanised drying with high electrical load.
Sector-specific PV considerations
Hop farm PV considerations: harvest-season electrical peak (typically September drying, intensive 4-6 weeks); oast house heat demand can be paired with solar thermal or solar PV + heat pump combinations; modern drying kilns are typically electric (solar PV directly substitutes); processing and storage buildings have moderate year-round baseload; tourism activity at on-farm breweries adds visitor-centre PV opportunity.
Typical system specification and economics
Typical UK hop farm PV install: 50-300 kW. Cost £40,000-£250,000. Payback 5-7 years for installs paired with electric drying; 6-8 years for installs at processing-only farms.
What to ask an installer
Ask each installer you approach to model your half-hourly meter data and building dimensions before quoting, and to put the system size, generation forecast, self-consumption and financial assumptions in writing. Before you sign, check the installer’s MCS certificate on the MCS register. Send your details through the quote form and we reply by email.
Common questions
Is solar economic for our specific sector?
Yes for most operations in this sector. Payback typically 5-7 years for installs paired with electric drying; 6-8 years for installs at processing-only farms. Send an installer your half-hourly meter data and ask for a desk feasibility study showing system-specific economics.
What grants apply to our sector?
100% Annual Investment Allowance is universal for incorporated farms. Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements pay for land-management actions, not solar. Smart Export Guarantee 4-12p/kWh on surplus generation. Welsh and Scottish farms have additional devolved schemes.
How long does install take?
From contract to commissioning: 4-7 months typical for rooftop PV; 6-9 months for combined re-roof + PV. We schedule works around the operation's busy seasons.
Can we install on older buildings with asbestos cement?
Yes — under a combined re-roof + PV programme. asbestos cement removal by trained operatives followed by profiled steel re-cladding followed by PV. The PV business case typically pays for 60-100% of the re-roof over 25 years.
Other specialist farm sub-sectors we cover
We work across specialist UK agricultural sub-sectors. Related sector pages: