Across Devon and the wider UK, dairy farmers are facing a familiar challenge.
Rising electricity costs, increasing pressure on operating margins, and the need to build more resilient farm infrastructure are forcing many agricultural businesses to rethink how they power their operations. For fairy farms in particular, where refrigeration, milking parlous, water heating and essential equipment create significant daily energy demand, electricity is no longer just another overhead. It is one of the most critical operational costs to manage, amounting to around 80% of the farm’s annual electricity costs.
For one dairy farm near Great Torrington in North Devon, the answer was clear: invest in a professionally engineered commercial solar PV and battery storage system capable of delivering long-term energy security.
Working closely with the farm team, VIA Energy designed a custom renewable energy solution that not only addresses immediate electricity cost pressures, but creates a future-proof energy infrastructure built to support the farm for decades to come.
The result is one of the region’s most substantial agricultural solar projects currently underway. A 375.58kW commercial solar PV installation paired with 506.88kW of battery storage.
It’s a project that perfectly demonstrates what is possible when agricultural expertise meets professional engineering.
Understanding the Challenge Facing Dairy Farms
Dairy farming is energy intensive by nature.
From the early hours of morning milking through to overnight refrigeration cycles, power demand rarely stops. Modern dairy operations rely on continuous electricity for milk cooling, pumping systems, ventilation, automated feeding system, hot water production and general site operations.
For farms across Devon, where fluctuating wholesale energy prices and grid dependency continue to create uncertainty, these demands can quickly translate into substantial annual costs.
For this North Devon farm, annual electricity expenditure had reached approximately £76,200 per year – so the challenge was not simply to reduce costs. The solution needed to provide reliability, integrate seamlessly with the farm’s existing infrastructure, and be engineered to perform consistently in Devon’s variable weather conditions.
Designing a Solar PV System Around the Farm
One of the biggest misconceptions around commercial solar is that system design starts with available roof space. For VIA Energy, it begins with understanding the business.
Before any design work began, our engineering team carried out an intricate analysis of the farm’s historical electricity consumption, load patters, daily operating requirements and projected future demand.
This allowed us to design a fully-integrated system tailored specifically to the farm’s operations. The final design includes:
844 High-Performance JA Solar DeepBlue 4/0 Pro 445W Solar Panels
Carefully selected for their excellent efficiency and strong low-light performance – a critical consideration, particularly for agricultural solar installations in Devon
2 Solis 100kW Commercial Three-Phase Inverters
Providing robust commercial-grade conversion efficiency
12 Victron Energy MultiPlus-II Inverters
Allowing advanced battery management and intelligent system control.
99 PYTES LiFePO4 Battery Modules
Delivering 506.88kWh of usable battery storage, giving the farm the ability to store excess solar generation and deploy it strategically during high-demand periods.
The result is a highly sophisticated energy system for both performance and reliability – because professional solar design is about far more than simply generating power. It’s about ensuring every component works together to maximise value.
Delivery Real Financial Impact
For any commercial farming business, investment decisions must make financial sense – this project does exactly that.
Once operational, the system is expected to generate approximately 341,901kWh of clean electricity every year, with modelling showing around 90% self-consumption. This means the vast majority of generated power will be used directly onsite. This translates into estimated annual savings of £56,594.
In practical terms, the farm’s annual electricity costs are expected to fall from £76,200 to just £19,696, a reduction of around 74%.
Over a 25-year period, the system is forecasted to deliver:
- A discounted payback period of just 6-7 years
- A net present value exceeding £1.35 million
- An internal rate of return of 19.4%
For agricultural businesses across Devon, these figures highlight why commercial solar PV is increasingly being viewed not as an expense, but as strategic infrastructure investment.
Why Reliability Matters on Working Farms
For a dairy farm, reliability is non-negotiable. Energy systems cannot fail during milking. Refrigeration cannot stop. Critical operational processes cannot be disrupted. This is why every VIA Energy installation is engineered with long-term dependability at its core.
The battery system uses proven LiFePO4 chemistry, chosen for its exceptional cycle life and safety profile. The inverter architecture provides redundancy and operational flexibility. Tier-one components ensure durability, while manufacturer-backed warranties provide long-term confidence.
This project includes:
- 30-year panel performance warranty
- 10-year batter warranty
- 10-year workmanship warranty
More Than Savings: A More Sustainable Future for Devon Agriculture
While the financial benefits are significant, the environmental impact is equally as impressive.
Each year, this system will deliver carbon reductions equivalent to:
- Planting 1,815 trees
- Avoiding 30,146 litres of fuel consumption
- Offsetting 34,261kg of coal usage
As sustainability continues to become more important across food production and agricultural supply chains, renewable energy projects like this help future-proof farming businesses against changing expectations and regulation.
The VIA Energy Difference
This project is a true testimony to what sets VIA Energy apart and why our customers choose us. We are not a sales-led company offering off-the-shelf solutions. Our professional engineers design complete commercial energy systems built around operational performance from all angles.
From detailed feasibility analysis through to full technical design, installation and long-term support, every stage is managed with precision. For agricultural clients across Devon, this means confidence that their investment is designed properly, installed correctly, and built to perform reliably for decades to come.
Read what our other customers have to say:
What This Means for Devon Farmers Considering Solar PV
The story of this North Devon dairy farm repeats the story of many others across the county. Farmers are recognising that commercial solar PV is no longer simply an environmental statement.
It is a practical, commercially sound way to:
- Reduce operational costs
- Improve business resilience
- Protect against future energy price volatility
- Strengthen sustainability credentials
- Create long-term financial certainty
Could Your Farm be Next?
Every farm is different. Energy usage patters, infrastructure requirements and operational priorities all vary – which is exactly why solar should never be approached with a one-size-fits-all mindset.
VIA Energy provides professional, engineer-led commercial solar assessments for farms across Devon, helping agricultural businesses to understand exactly what is possible.
