What is agrivoltaics?

Agrivoltaics (also called agri-PV, dual-use or solar sharing) means generating solar power on land that stays in active agricultural use beneath and between the panels. In the UK the most common form is sheep grazing under elevated ground-mount arrays; pollinator habitat and limited crop cultivation are also used. The aim is to produce clean energy without taking the land out of food production.

Is agrivoltaics used in the UK?

Yes, on a small scale. The law firm CMS reported that as of April 2025 there were 15 commercial operational agrivoltaic projects in the UK, most generating between 1 MW and 5 MW, and noted that UK legislation has no formal definition of agrivoltaics. Sheep grazing under ground-mounted arrays is the most common form, and the government’s Solar Roadmap (June 2025) notes that many solar projects are designed so livestock grazing can continue. University of Sheffield research published in February 2025 estimated that agrivoltaics could in principle supply more than four times the UK’s electricity demand while the land stays farmed.

Does agrivoltaics work in the UK climate?

Yes. UK solar irradiance is sufficient for ground-mount generation, and the cooler, wetter climate actually helps the agricultural side — partial shade under panels reduces summer heat and water stress on grass and some crops, while sheep gain shelter from sun, wind and rain. Sheep grazing under panels is the most evidenced UK use-case; elevated crop systems are at trial stage here but well established in France, Germany and Italy.

What is solar grazing and which sheep breeds are used?

Solar grazing is using livestock — almost always sheep in the UK — to manage the vegetation on and between solar arrays, replacing mowing. Hardy, low-stature breeds that will not damage cabling or rub against frames are preferred: Welsh Mules, Romney, Shetland and Suffolk-cross are commonly used. Frames with enough clearance under the lower panel edge let ewes move and graze freely between rows.

Can you graze sheep under solar panels?

Yes — this is the standard UK agrivoltaic model and the most widely proven. Standard ground-mount frames leave enough clearance for sheep to graze between and beneath the rows. Stocking is modestly reduced versus equivalent open pasture because of the panel footprint and access spacing, but the land keeps producing lamb and wool while also generating power, and grazing removes the need for mechanical mowing.

Can you grow crops under solar panels in the UK? Which crops work?

Yes, but UK crop agrivoltaics is still mostly at trial stage and needs panels elevated high enough to let machinery and light through. Shade-tolerant and partial-shade crops are the best fit: soft fruit (raspberries, blackcurrants), salad and leaf crops, and some herbs and grassland. Sun-hungry cereals and brassicas generally yield poorly under panels, so grazing and pollinator ground cover remain the dominant UK approaches.

How much does agrivoltaics cost per kWp in the UK?

Government statistics cover small systems only: DESNZ’s 2025/26 data puts the median installed cost of a 10–50 kW solar system at about £1,262 per kW, and ground-mounted farm arrays are usually much larger and priced per project. Agrivoltaic designs cost more per kWp than a conventional ground mount of the same size, because elevated or wider-spaced frames use more steel and a site fits fewer panels. Ask for the agrivoltaic and solar-only layouts to be priced side by side.

Is agrivoltaics more expensive than standard ground-mount solar?

Yes. The elevated or wider-spaced mounting needed to keep land productive costs more than a conventional solar-only ground mount, and you fit fewer kWp per hectare. That premium is usually justified where the land must keep earning agricultural income, where it can support stacked SFI actions, or where keeping the land in agricultural use strengthens the planning case.

Do you need planning permission for agrivoltaics in the UK?

Generally yes. Ground-mounted solar of any real size needs full planning permission, and agrivoltaics is no exception. What changes is the argument: the Solar Roadmap (June 2025) says lower-quality land should be preferred where agricultural land is needed, and that developers proposing to use best and most versatile land must justify it and design projects to avoid, mitigate and, where necessary, compensate for impacts. A documented plan to keep grazing or cropping the land is part of that case. Pairing the array with biodiversity ground cover also helps meet mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain.

Does agrivoltaics qualify for SFI / Sustainable Farming Incentive payments?

It can. Where the land beneath and between panels delivers eligible actions — pollinator and wildflower ground cover, managed grassland, hedgerow management around the perimeter — those Sustainable Farming Incentive actions can stack on top of solar generation income. SFI action rates are set in the current SFI handbook and updated periodically, so confirm the exact per-hectare figures and current scheme status at gov.uk before relying on them.

How much land do you need for agrivoltaics, and what is the kWp per acre?

Agrivoltaics fits fewer panels per acre than solar-only, because rows are spaced for grazing, machinery or light to reach the crop. There is no standard UK figure: density depends on panel height, row spacing, tilt and what is farmed underneath. Sheep grazing under standard frames loses the least capacity; elevated systems over crops lose the most. Ask for the agrivoltaic and solar-only layouts on the same field to be compared kWp for kWp.

Can agrivoltaics be built on Best and Most Versatile (BMV) agricultural land?

It can be, but it is not automatic. Best and most versatile land is grades 1, 2 and 3a. The Solar Roadmap says lower-quality land should be preferred where agricultural land is needed, and that proposals on BMV land must justify it and avoid, mitigate and, where necessary, compensate for impacts; the 2026 Land Use Framework for England notes that development on BMV land may have potential for multifunctionality such as agrivoltaic systems. Councils must consult Natural England on proposals likely to lose 20 hectares or more of BMV land that are not in line with the development plan. A genuine, evidenced plan to keep the land farmed is what strengthens an agrivoltaic case.

What is the land equivalent ratio (LER) of agrivoltaics?

Land equivalent ratio (LER) compares the land needed to produce the same energy and food separately with the land needed to do both together. A well-designed agrivoltaic system can achieve an LER above 1, meaning combined dual use is more land-efficient than splitting the area into a separate solar farm and a separate field, because the same hectares yield electricity and a reduced but real agricultural output.

How much can a farmer earn from agrivoltaics per hectare per year?

Earnings depend on system size, self-consumption and which SFI actions apply, so any single figure is illustrative. The income stack is generation savings plus SEG export plus eligible SFI/stewardship payments per hectare, minus the modest reduction in grazing output. Use the illustrative model below as a structure, then confirm current SFI rates at gov.uk and model your own irradiance, tariff and self-consumption to get a real per-hectare figure.

Agrivoltaics vs leasing land to a solar developer — which earns more?

Leasing land to a developer pays a fixed, low-risk annual rent with no capital outlay, but you give up the energy value, and usually most agricultural use of the land, for the length of the lease. Owning an agrivoltaic system keeps the land farming, captures the generation savings and any eligible SFI actions, and retains more of the value — but it needs capital and management. Owning can earn more over the asset life; leasing trades that upside for simplicity and low risk.

Does the government support agrivoltaics?

It recognises it. The Solar Roadmap (DESNZ, June 2025) describes agrivoltaics — the integration of solar with arable farming — as a rapidly developing industry and says government is working to understand the opportunities. The Land Use Framework for England (May 2026) names continued livestock grazing and agrivoltaics as ways to keep farming alongside solar. UK legislation has no formal definition of agrivoltaics, so projects go through the normal planning system.

Agrivoltaics UK 2026 | Solar Grazing, Crops + SFI Explained

Reviewed and updated 26 September 2026 by the SolarPanelsForFarms.uk team.

Agrivoltaics — also called solar sharing or dual-use solar — is the practice of designing a solar PV installation so the land beneath the panels remains productive for grazing, pollinator habitat or even compatible crop cultivation. It is the most credible answer to the food-vs-energy land debate around large UK solar farms, and the government’s 2025 Solar Roadmap and 2026 Land Use Framework both point towards designs that keep land farmed.

Is agrivoltaics actually used in the UK?

Yes, on a small scale. The CMS expert guide to agrivoltaics reported that as of April 2025 there were 15 commercial operational agrivoltaic projects in the UK, most of them generating between 1 MW and 5 MW, and noted that UK legislation has no formal definition of agrivoltaics. Sheep grazing under ground-mounted arrays is the most common form: the government's Solar Roadmap (June 2025) notes that many solar projects are designed to enable continued livestock grazing.

The national picture is about potential rather than current output. University of Sheffield research (February 2025), published in Applied Energy, estimated that agrivoltaics could in principle supply more than four times the UK's electricity demand while the land stays farmed, and named East and South-East England (Cambridgeshire, Essex, Lincolnshire) as the best-suited areas. The Solar Roadmap (June 2025) calls agrivoltaics — the integration of solar with arable farming — "a rapidly developing industry". Our article could agrivoltaics power the UK? weighs that evidence.

Why agrivoltaics matters in 2026

Planning policy steers ground-mounted solar towards lower-grade land. Best and most versatile (BMV) land is grades 1, 2 and 3a, and government guidance on development on agricultural land (updated July 2026) requires councils to consult Natural England on proposals likely to lose 20 hectares or more of it that are not in line with the development plan. Agrivoltaics does not change a field's grade, but it changes the argument: if the land stays agriculturally productive, much of the food-vs-energy trade-off falls away. The Solar Roadmap asks developers who propose BMV land to justify it and to avoid, mitigate and, where necessary, compensate for impacts, and the 2026 Land Use Framework says BMV development may have potential for multifunctionality "such as through agrivoltaic systems".

What 2026 land-use policy says about agrivoltaics

The Land Use Framework for England, published in May 2026, is the clearest statement yet of how government expects farmland and energy to share space. It projects land used for solar and wind at about 129,000 hectares by 2035 and 155,000 hectares by 2050 — roughly 1% of England's land and 2% of its utilised agricultural area — and expects some of that land to stay in food production. It names continued livestock grazing and agrivoltaics as the ways that happens, and it frames its commitment to protect BMV farmland around permanent land-use change.

For a farm, the practical reading is simple: a project designed from the outset to keep the land grazed or cropped fits the direction of policy better than one that takes a field out of farming for the life of a lease. It does not guarantee consent, and it does not unlock a special grant, but it gives the planning case something concrete to stand on.

How much electricity agrivoltaic land generates in the UK

Agrivoltaic arrays are ground-mounted, so they can be set at the best tilt for the site rather than following a roof. EU PVGIS data for 1 kWp of south-facing panels at the optimum angle (SARAH3, 14% system losses, queried 26 September 2026) shows how location changes annual output:

Location	Optimum tilt	kWh per kWp a year
Exeter, Devon	39°	1,054
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire	41°	1,041
York, North Yorkshire	42°	974
Shrewsbury, Shropshire	40°	972
Aberdeen	43°	894

Two cautions. Wider row spacing for grazing or machinery mainly reduces how much capacity a field can hold, so compare layouts on total kWh per hectare as well as per kWp. And vertical east–west bifacial designs, used where machinery must pass between rows, produce a flatter daily profile and a different annual total, so ask for a model of the actual layout.

Three practical UK agrivoltaic models

1. Sheep grazing under elevated panels

Standard ground-mount frames with enough clearance below the lower panel edge for sheep to pass. Sheep — typically hardy, low-stature breeds such as Welsh Mules, Romney, Shetland or Suffolk-cross — graze freely between the rows, keeping vegetation down and removing the need for mechanical mowing. Stocking density is modestly reduced versus equivalent open pasture because of the panel footprint and access spacing, so there is a small grazing-output trade-off offset by significant solar income. This is the most widely proven UK model.

2. Pollinator-friendly wildflower ground cover

Solar arrays planted with native UK wildflower seed mixes — Yellow Rattle, Common Knapweed, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Field Scabious. This generates strong biodiversity outcomes, helps deliver mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (in force since 2024 under the Environment Act), can qualify for SFI pollinator and wildlife actions, and reduces grass-mowing costs to essentially zero. Independent post-construction biodiversity surveys at solar sites have generally recorded higher pollinator and invertebrate counts than the previous intensive arable use.

3. Elevated arrays with shade-tolerant crops

Continental European agrivoltaics — common in Germany, Italy and France — uses panel arrays raised well above head height to allow cropping below. UK trials are underway with soft fruits (raspberries, blackcurrants) and salad/leaf production. Capital cost is materially higher than a standard ground mount, with fewer kWp per hectare, but justified where high-value protected cropping is the realistic alternative land use.

Solar grazing in the UK

Solar grazing — running livestock to manage vegetation on and between solar arrays instead of mowing — is the most evidenced and most widely deployed agrivoltaic practice in the UK, which is why it is the realistic starting point for most farms. The Solar Roadmap (June 2025) notes that many solar projects are already designed to enable continued livestock grazing.

Which sheep breeds? Hardy, low-stature breeds that will not damage cabling or rub against the frames are preferred — Welsh Mules, Romney, Shetland and Suffolk-cross are commonly used. Larger, taller or boisterous breeds are generally avoided. Frames are set with enough clearance beneath the lower panel edge for ewes to move and graze freely between rows.

Stocking and welfare. Expect a modest reduction in stocking versus equivalent open pasture, because the panel footprint and access spacing take some grazing area out of play — model this as a small productivity trade-off rather than a fixed national figure, since it varies by layout and grass quality. The welfare upside is real: panels give sheep shelter from sun, wind and driving rain, and partial shade keeps the sward greener for longer in dry spells.

Who manages the grazing? Either the host farmer runs their own flock, or a neighbouring grazier takes a grazing licence — a common arrangement on larger developer-built sites that keeps land in genuine agricultural use and supports the planning and SFI case. Fencing, water and a simple grazing plan are the practical essentials. See our sheep farm solar guide for breed-level detail.

What agrivoltaics costs in the UK

The government's solar cost statistics (DESNZ, 2025/26) cover MCS-certified installations up to 50 kW and do not separate out agrivoltaic designs; in that data the median installed cost of a 10–50 kW system was about £1,262 per kW. Ground-mounted farm arrays are usually far larger and priced per project, so anyone quoting a precise national £/kWp figure for agrivoltaics is estimating. What can be said with confidence is the direction of cost for each design, relative to a conventional ground mount:

System type	Cost per kWp vs solar-only ground mount	Capacity per hectare	Best-fit farm
Rooftop (barn / shed)	No land cost; the roof and structure decide	n/a (roof area)	Any farm with large roofs and high daytime use
Standard ground-mount (solar-only)	Baseline	Highest	Lower-grade land with no continuing crop use
Sheep-grazing agri-PV	Similar to slightly higher	Similar to slightly lower	Livestock farms keeping land in grazing
Elevated crop agri-PV	Materially higher (taller, stronger frames)	Lowest	High-value soft fruit and salad growers

Relative comparisons, not measured costs. Get the agrivoltaic and solar-only layouts priced side by side for the same field. For the rooftop route, see our guide to rooftop solar on farm buildings.

Illustrative worked example (model only — not a specific client)

The figures below are an illustrative model to show how the income streams stack — they are not a real project and are not a guarantee of returns. Run your own site-specific numbers before deciding.

Income / cost stream (modelled)	Indicative Year 1
Solar generation savings (≈1 MW, high self-consumption)	Largest stream — varies with tariff & self-use
SEG export income on surplus	Secondary stream (depends on SEG tariff)
Stacked SFI / stewardship actions (per ha)	Adds per-hectare income — rate per SFI handbook
Reduced grazing output (opportunity cost)	Small deduction
Net effect	Generation savings + SFI typically outweigh the grazing trade-off

The exact figures turn on your irradiance, self-consumption percentage, electricity and SEG tariffs, and which SFI actions you qualify for — all of which are site-specific and (for SFI) updated periodically at gov.uk. Treat this as a structure to model against, not a quoted return.

Planning permission for agrivoltaics

Most ground-mount solar above small thresholds needs full planning permission, and agrivoltaics is no exception — but the dual-use design is genuinely easier to consent than solar-only. Three reasons carry weight with planners: (1) the land stays agriculturally productive, which directly answers the BMV land objection that blocks solar-only schemes; (2) biodiversity ground cover helps deliver mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (Environment Act, in force 2024); and (3) the Solar Roadmap (June 2025) describes agrivoltaics as a rapidly developing industry that government is working to understand, while the Land Use Framework for England (May 2026) names it as a way to keep farming alongside solar.

That said, consent is never automatic, especially on better-grade land — a credible, evidenced continuing agricultural use (a real grazing or cropping plan, not just a stated intention) is what strengthens the case. See our guide to planning permission for farm solar and solar on agricultural land planning rules for the detail.

SFI payment stacking — earnings per hectare

The commercial appeal of agrivoltaics is the income stack: generation savings and SEG export plus Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) actions on the land beneath and around the panels, minus a modest grazing trade-off. Eligible actions can include pollinator and wildflower ground cover, managed grassland and hedgerow management around the perimeter. SFI action rates are set in the current SFI handbook and change periodically, so confirm the live per-hectare figures and current scheme status at gov.uk before relying on any number.

✓ Pollinator / wildflower ground cover actions — per-hectare annual payments for biodiversity-rich ground cover under and between arrays
✓ Grassland and soil actions — for sheep-grazed agrivoltaic sites kept in managed grassland
✓ Hedgerow management — per-metre annual payments for hedgerows around solar field perimeters
✓ Countryside Stewardship capital grants where the project delivers measurable biodiversity uplift

This stacking is why an owned agrivoltaic system can out-earn leasing the same land to a solar developer: a land lease pays a fixed, low-risk rent but surrenders the generation value, and usually the SFI income, for the length of the lease. Agrivoltaics keeps the land farming and captures all three streams — at the cost of capital outlay and management.

Limitations of agrivoltaics

✗ Higher capital cost per kWp than a standard ground mount (elevated or wider-spaced frames)
✗ Lower capacity per hectare than solar-only, because rows are spaced for animals, machinery or light
✗ Modestly reduced grazing density versus equivalent open pasture
✗ Specialist mowing or grazing management required to maintain wildflower mixes — not just standard agricultural practice
✗ Some shade-sensitive crops (cereals, brassicas) genuinely unsuitable beneath panels
✗ Usually a longer payback than rooftop farm solar, which avoids land and elevated-frame costs

Agrivoltaics UK — Solar + Farming, Together