All 9 UK regions we cover
South East England
12 countiesKent, Surrey, Sussex, Essex, Herts, Bucks, Oxon, Berks, Hants, Beds, IoW, London. UKPN delivers UK's fastest G99 turnaround (6-10 weeks). 1,050 kWh/m²/yr — second-highest UK irradiance. Kent Downs / Surrey Hills / Chilterns / Sussex High Weald AONBs.
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South West England
8 countiesCornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Bristol, BANES. UK's highest regional irradiance at 1,100 kWh/m²/yr. Dartmoor, Exmoor and South Downs National Parks. Mendip / Cotswolds / East Devon AONBs.
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East of England
6 countiesNorfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire. UK's grain belt — Norfolk + Suffolk + Cambs + Lincs produce ~30% of UK cereal output. Holkham + Sandringham estate solar routes. Flat topography simplifies ground-mount.
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Midlands
13 countiesWarwickshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Leicestershire, Notts, Derbyshire, Northants, Rutland, West Midlands, Shropshire, Herefordshire. Most diverse single region. The West Midlands rural belt has the strongest farm solar demand we see.
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North of England
4 countiesYorkshire, North Yorkshire, Northumberland, Durham. Dairy + beef + arable + Vale of York pigs. Yorkshire Dales + North York Moors National Parks. Northern Powergrid 8-12 weeks G99 typical.
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North West England
4 countiesCumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire. Cheshire is UK dairy capital (~100,000 dairy cows). Lake District National Park, Forest of Bowland + Arnside & Silverdale AONBs.
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Scotland
12 countiesEast Lothian, Borders, Aberdeenshire, Highlands, Orkney, Shetland + 6 more. Long summer daylight (18+ hours June). CARES interest-free loans up to £150k. SRDP grants up to 50% on islands. ANM curtailment on Orkney + parts of Highlands.
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Wales
9 countiesCardiff, Swansea, Powys, Gwynedd, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Monmouthshire, Anglesey. Welsh Farm Business Grant Energy quarterly windows 40% capital. Anglesey has highest Welsh sunshine hours (1,540/yr).
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Northern Ireland
4 countiesCounty Antrim, Down, Armagh, Tyrone. Strong dairy concentration. Armagh is the Orchard County. DAERA Farm Energy Efficiency Scheme 40% capital, annual spring window.
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UK farm solar economics by region
Three regional factors materially affect farm solar economics:
- 1. Solar irradiance — UK regional irradiance ranges from 900 kWh/m²/yr in northern Scotland to 1,100 kWh/m²/yr in the South West. A typical 100 kWp system generates 95,000 kWh/yr in Cornwall versus 80,000 kWh/yr in the Highlands — a 16% spread that shifts payback by roughly 6 months.
- 2. Grant scheme — England farms access the Improving Farm Productivity grant (25% capital, £100k cap), Wales access FBG-E (40%, £12-100k, quarterly windows), Scotland access CARES interest-free loans up to £150k + SRDP up to 50% on islands, Northern Ireland access DAERA (40%, annual spring window). Same project, different net cost based on region.
- 3. DNO connection — UKPN (London, SE, East) delivers UK's fastest G99 turnaround at 6-10 weeks. SSEN Highlands sometimes takes 10-20 weeks. ENWL, Northern Powergrid, NGED and SP Networks sit between. Connection capacity also varies — Wash + Norfolk coast + Mendip Levels + west Wales have known constraints.
Regional planning landscape
UK farm rooftop solar generally qualifies as permitted development under Class A or B of the GPDO. Region-specific constraints:
- 🌳 National Parks — Dartmoor, Exmoor, Peak District, Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors, Cairngorms, Loch Lomond, Eryri (Snowdonia), Pembrokeshire Coast, Bannau Brycheiniog. Full planning + landscape impact assessment required.
- 🌄 AONBs — Cotswolds, Mendips, Chilterns, Sussex High Weald, Kent Downs, North Wessex Downs, Forest of Bowland, Lincolnshire Wolds, Sperrins, Mournes, Causeway Coast, plus 30+ more. Rooftop usually permitted; ground-mount needs LVIA.
- 🏛️ Heritage — listed buildings + conservation areas affect concentration of farm projects in Cotswolds, Kent + East Sussex, North Yorkshire and Welsh upland.
- 🌾 BMV land — Grade 1, 2 and 3a agricultural land restrictions for ground-mount tightened since 2024 Defra guidance. Affects East Anglian arable belt, Cheshire dairy, Vale of York, Aberdeenshire malting barley belt.