Critical farm renewables reset needed

Undoubtedly, the previous Government has made substantial progress in our drive to increase renewable energy capacity, including setting out our current 2030 targets.

But setting targets and delivering these targets are two different things, and the latter is something our Government has not been good at. There have been some catastrophic mistakes made by ministers, officials and advisers, which, if not addressed, will rob generations of farmers of the opportunity to truly be part of the green energy transition and keep investment and profits local.

In the first of two articles, I am going to touch on the areas where the previous Government has done well in in terms of renewable electricity, and the areas that the next Government needs to critically rethink in its approach.

I am writing this article through the lens of a farmer, and by the end of reading this, I hope prospective ministers, advisers and indeed our farm lobby groups are clear on the areas that need to be addressed within the first 100 days of power.

It is important to note that if we are truly in a climate and biodiversity crisis, it is time to start acting like it and get creative. Farmers are willing to step up and play their part; all that is needed are the tools to do so.

Let’s start with the positive. The Solar Capital Investment Scheme (part of TAMS III), which provides up to 60% to the cost of solar PV systems for farms, has been successful.

Despite the many teething problems, the outgoing minister and Department of Agriculture are to be commended. But there are areas which need to be improved.

Needs action: a commitment to fully funding the scheme and maintaining the 60% grant aid rate for the duration of the next term of Government is needed to ensure that everyone who applies is successful. Remove the stipulation that batteries can only be sized to 50% of the capacity of the grant-aided solar panels as it isn’t needed. Another rule that panels cannot be installed on buildings with agitation points in or on them, makes little sense.

It is very worrying that rates at which farmers are selling electricity back through the grid are being reduced and considering that our electricity prices are still among the highest in Europe, these payment rates should remain as high. Also, the introduction of a longer-term, premium tariff for small rooftop solar systems seems to have fallen by the wayside.

Needs action: there is nothing good that can be said here and action is needed immediately. Small-scale wind has become the forgotten child of recent farm renewable electricity policy. There are many locations where wind suits much better than solar so at a minimal, farm-scale wind turbines need to eligible for grant aid under TAMS III.

The new connection policy for renewable electricity systems is a step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done to remove barriers for farmers.

The grid’s capacity to support renewables is now a critical issue and the cost of grid upgrades to accommodate farm systems need to be addressed.

Should we explore a specific subsidised farm grid upgrade programme or a shared cost mechanism to address this? In my opinion, yes we should – get creative.

We need three-phase smart meters rolled out immediately and the process to connect renewable generators directly to energy users, bypassing the ESB grid, needs to be implemented by no later than quarter one of 2025.

There is little to commend the Government on this; in fact, quite the opposite. The long-awaited Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS), which was originally intended to allow farmers to build small solar farms and install farm wind turbines, with the purpose of making an additional income on their farm, has not yet been launched but already needs to be re-examined.

Needs action: the premise of the scheme is right, providing a 15-year price guarantee to make a project bankable. However, the proposed support tariff rates are simply too low to make farm-scale projects viable.

This scheme is being developed by the Department of Environment, and it is critical that it be revisited and a separate tariff introduced specifically for farms. At present, most farmers would be looking at proposed tariff rates of 8c/kWh for small-scale wind turbines and 13c/kWh for solar PV.

For comparison, farmers in Northern Ireland can receive over 38c/kWh for small-scale wind turbines. Am I missing something? How can farmers here be expected to make a project work when they receive nearly a fifth of the price for the same project in Northern Ireland?

Perhaps with better planning exceptions, a low-cost loan scheme and a subsidised grid connection grant, those low tariffs might work. But none of these are in place or even being considered. In the real world, the simple answer is that the scheme, as it stands, will not make projects feasible or bankable.

Also, why is the scheme limited to solar and wind? Initially, it was meant to be technology-neutral, allowing biogas, hydro and biomass plants to access the 15-year support tariffs. These technologies should be eligible. If it’s not revised and tariff rates increased, farm families will lose out on a income stream that is common on many farms in other parts of Europe.

It’s worth noting that there are separate, slightly higher tariff rates for community projects, so there is precedent for creating separate rates for active farmers.

The Government’s strategy to promote solar farms has clearly worked, offering many farmers in suitable areas long-term lease opportunities. While there’s opposition, most agree it’s ultimately the farmer’s choice how to use their land.

However, could there be a more innovative way to involve farmers in solar developments, beyond just leasing land? Agrivoltaics, though most remain sceptical, deserves attention. This model, where land is used for both genuine farming and solar generation, has its challenges, but is still worth exploring.

Otherwise, the solar industry will soon face many more calls to ban solar farms.

We need to encourage a diverse range of renewable technologies on farms. Heat recovery still holds much potential, hydro energy is rarely discussed these days, and what about solar thermal – remember that? The Government shouldn’t put all its eggs in one solar basket.

The planning exemption for solar panels was a commendable and practical measure by the previous Government. Looking ahead, the next Government should reconsider the existing planning exemptions for wind turbines in agricultural settings.

Modern, small-scale commercial turbines often exceed the current exemption parameters of 20 metres in height and an eight-metre rotor diameter.

At a minimum, these thresholds should be doubled so farmers can avoid one or two years in the planning system, and actually get projects built. They should also explore an exemption for small solar farm projects for farmers, less than five acres (approximately 1MW), assuming SRESS tariff rates are reviewed.

Finally, we need a fundamental change of attitude, starting at ministerial level down through the departments and State/semi-State bodies.

Farmers are capable of more than just installing solar panels on their shed roof or leasing their land for solar farms.

Give farmers the tools to build their own projects, and develop their own income streams.

We also need to see a step change in the speed of policy and scheme delivery.

Every major energy policy and scheme which relates to farming has been delayed. Get a move on and start acting like we actually want to meet our 2030 targets.

We will look at the previous Government’s record on anaerobic digestion and biomass and ask if it is too late to change direction?