Solar Panels for Grain Stores UK | Arable Farm Energy Guide

Grain stores are among the most commercially attractive candidates for agricultural solar in the UK. Large south-facing roofs, high peak electricity demands during harvest, and significant drying loads that can be offset by solar generation make grain store solar a strong agricultural application, though payback depends on how much of the output the farm uses itself. In the major arable regions — Lincolnshire, East Anglia, Yorkshire, Hampshire, and Wiltshire — grain store solar is now standard practice among progressive farming businesses.

Why Grain Stores Are Ideal for Solar

Several characteristics make grain stores particularly well-suited for solar installation:

• Large roof area: Modern wide-span grain stores typically offer 500–2,000m2 or more of south-facing roof space, sufficient for systems of 75kW to 300kW+

• Harvest-season alignment: Grain drying runs through the harvest, typically July to September, while the panels are still generating strongly — so much of the output can be used on site

• Simple buildings: Steel portal frame grain stores have simple roof structures well-suited to solar mounting, without the complexity of older agricultural buildings

• Flat surroundings: Most grain stores are located in open farmyards with minimal shading from trees or other structures

System Sizing for Grain Drying Loads

The key to maximising the value of grain store solar is matching system size to your drying energy profile. Read the dryer’s electrical load (fans, augers and elevators) from half-hourly meter data for a previous harvest; a roof array covers part of that load while the sun is up, and supplies the farm’s base load for the rest of the year.

Ask the installer to analyse half-hourly meter data from your farm to identify peak drying periods and size the system to maximise the proportion of drying energy sourced from solar. A battery storage system can further increase self-consumption by storing midday generation for use during evening and night drying runs.

A closely related question is grazing and cropping around solar.

Structural Considerations for Wide-Span Steel Buildings

Modern grain stores — typically portal frame buildings constructed from the 1990s onwards — have well-documented structural specifications and are straightforward to assess for solar loading. Key considerations include:

• Purlin spacing and load capacity: Solar panel frames attach to roof purlins. Standard 1.2m purlin spacing accommodates most panel mounting systems without additional structure. Wider spacing may require additional rails.

• Panel weight per m2: Modern glass-glass or glass-backsheet panels weigh 10–15kg/m2. Most grain store roofs are designed to carry snow loads of 60–100kg/m2, so panel loading is typically within structural limits.

• Roof sheeting condition: Older box-profile steel sheeting from the 1970s–1980s may be corroded, particularly around fixings, so check the sheets’ remaining life before fitting an array — see fitting solar to steel-sheet roofs. Ask the installer to confirm that sheeting condition is assessed as part of the site survey.

• Ridge and eave details: The installation design must account for the building’s ridge capping, gutters, and down-pipe arrangement to ensure weathertightness.

Regional Spotlight: Where Grain Store Solar Thrives

Lincolnshire leads the UK for grain store solar installations, driven by the county’s intensive arable character, large farm scale, and high average solar irradiance for an inland location. Boston, Sleaford, Spalding, and the Wolds are particularly active areas. The flat Lincolnshire landscape means minimal shading and excellent wind exposure for panel cleaning.

East Anglia — Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire — is the UK’s most solar-active agricultural region, with high irradiance, large farm scales, and a long tradition of early technology adoption. Sugar beet and vegetable processing farms alongside cereal operations generate significant year-round energy loads.

Yorkshire (East and North Riding particularly) has seen rapid growth in grain store solar as the county’s arable acres have expanded and grain drying capacity has increased. Hull and the Humber ports serve as grain export hubs, creating large-scale storage demand near major distribution centres.

Yields rise towards the south: PVGIS gives about 1,092 kWh a year per kW of south-facing panels on a 30° roof near Penzance, against about 960 kWh near York.

Costs and ROI for Grain Store Solar

The only official cost benchmark is the DESNZ 2025/26 median installed price of about £1,262 per kW for 10–50 kW systems (Great Britain; including VAT where charged; excluding batteries). There is no official series above 50 kW, so a typical 100kW grain store installation is priced from itemised quotes. No grant for solar panels on farms is open in England: round 2 of the Improving Farm Productivity grant paid up to 25% of eligible costs for rooftop solar but has closed (full applications closed 31 July 2025) and no further round has been announced. Annual electricity savings typically range from £15,000–£30,000 depending on energy prices and drying intensity; payback depends on how much of the output the farm uses itself.

For larger systems of 250kW+, payback likewise depends on how much of the output the farm uses itself — how well the grain store’s energy profile matches solar generation patterns and whether battery storage is included.

For a detailed cost breakdown, see our agricultural solar panel cost guide.

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