Financing farm decarbonisation
December 27, 2023
Farms can reduce emissions and costs in one fell swoop. Distributed renewable energy is a new asset class with attractive opportunities.
Farms can reduce emissions and costs in one fell swoop. Distributed renewable energy is a new asset class with attractive opportunities.
Innovation is enabling farms to adjust electricity requirements and advantage of on-farm generated and stored power or cheaper off-peak tariffs.
Battery storage on farms may become even more important as the UK’s energy system decentralises and ‘Time of Use Tariffs’ become common.
This technology will continue to play an important part in the UK’s renewable energy mix – and provide an additional source of farm income and opportunity for business and community investment
Many farms have invested in solar photovoltaics on roofs as well as ground-mounted systems and are providing a return on investment.
A heat/chill heat system can be used to provide low carbon heat for a range of on-farm agricultural processes.
A heat pump extracts natural heat from a medium using ‘reverse-refrigeration’ processes. The medium is typically air (air source heat pump – ASHP)
Farms require heat for a range of purposes – grain and vegetable drying; produce chilling; controlled livestock environments.
With the UK’s commitment to net zero and with increasing energy prices, the moment has come for a reassessment of the role of small-scale on-farm biogas.