Ray of light for solar farming investment in the dairy sector

THE POLICY and representative body for Irish dairy processing co-operatives and co-operative marts, ICOS, has said Irish dairy farms are ‘a perfect fit’ for solar based micro-generation investments.

In a statement to a Government consultation on the Micro- Generation Support Scheme in Ireland, the organisation said such investments would provide sustainability benefits for climate action and for the livelihoods and wellbeing of rural communities.

The ICOS submission also projects potential annual savings from on-farm use of renewable energy ranging from €843 to €2,341 per annum with potential annual income from the supply of electricity, from the farm to the grid, ranging from €208 to €2,773 per annum.

The projections also identify a return on investment occurring between 2.9 and 13.3 years, depending on the scale of the dairying farm platform and the scale of solar installation. The figures are predicated on investment costs ranging from €3,900 for a 3kW array, to €52,000 for a 40kW array, using advanced photovoltaic solar panels. TAMS (Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme) grants may also be available for arrays ranging from 3kW to 11kW in size.

ICOS also stated that many beef and tillage farms would also have significant potential in this area if the 30 per cent export limit was raised.

Under the currently proposed scheme, micro-generators can sell 30 per cent of the excess electricity they produce and export it back to the grid.