Farming around Evesham
The Vale of Evesham is England's most intensive horticultural growing area — asparagus, soft fruit, brassicas, salad crops and protected cultivation in polytunnels and glass. Energy demand is year-round and constant: cold stores running at 2-4°C, packhouses with conveyor, washing and grading machinery, irrigation pumps, and ventilation in tunnels. Dairy farms occupy the River Avon floodplain corridor, while mixed arable enterprises work the higher ground towards Alcester and Bidford. The area has a large number of smaller horticultural holdings (5-50 acres) where solar ROI is particularly strong due to high year-round electricity consumption.
Local installation profile
- County: Worcestershire
- Local authority: Wychavon District Council
- DNO: NGED — typical G99 turnaround 8-14 weeks
- Solar irradiance: 980 kWh/m²/yr
- Population: 27,000
- Neighbouring areas covered: Pershore, Alcester, Stratford-upon-Avon, Broadway, Worcester, Tewkesbury
- Nearest installation hub: Midlands hub
Planning and grid considerations
No significant AONB constraint in the Evesham vale itself. Planning for ground-mount is generally favourable but Wychavon District Council has an active flood-risk policy along the River Avon corridor — battery storage buildings in flood zones must comply with FRA requirements. Horticultural operations with older asbestos-clad packhouses require pre-install asbestos survey. Soft-fruit holdings with significant polytunnel shading require careful solar yield modelling.
Grants and tax relief for Evesham farms
- ✓ FETF (England) — up to 40% capital, £100k cap per project. Annual Feb-Mar window. Full grant guide.
- ✓ 100% Annual Investment Allowance — write down residual cost in year one. Reduces £60k net to an effective £36k cash outlay in year one.
- ✓ Smart Export Guarantee — 4-15p/kWh for surplus generation exported to grid
- ✓ SFI Horticultural Soil Improvement and Agroforestry options available for fruit and vegetable holdings
Typical farm solar projects near Evesham
| Farm type | System | Gross cost | After FETF + AIA | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horticultural (cold store + packhouse) | 75-200 kWp | £53-140k | £28-75k | 1.5-1.9 yr |
| Dairy (100-250 head, Avon valley) | 65-130 kWp | £45-91k | £24-49k | 1.7-2.2 yr |
| Soft fruit (open + polytunnel, 50-200 ac) | 50-150 kWp | £35-105k | £19-56k | 1.6-2.1 yr |
| Arable (300-800 ac) | 50-180 kWp | £35-126k | £19-67k | 2.0-2.5 yr |
What's included in every Evesham quote
- ✓ Free desk feasibility from your half-hourly meter data (3 working days)
- ✓ On-site structural and electrical survey
- ✓ FETF grant application written and submitted (90%+ approval rate)
- ✓ NGED G99 grid connection application managed end-to-end
- ✓ MCS-certified Tier-1 panels (Trina, JA Solar, REC, SunPower)
- ✓ Asbestos cement roofing assessed; licensed removal coordinated if needed
- ✓ 25-year panel warranty, 10-year inverter, 5-year workmanship
- ✓ IWA insurance-backed warranty for 10 years even if we cease trading
- ✓ Annual maintenance contracts from £250/year