Turning an old farm store into a solar powerhouse
At Little Habton, near Malton in North Yorkshire, a farm had an old agricultural store that had seen better days. The building was still useful, but the roof was tired and coming to the end of its life. The farm wanted to fix the roof once and make it pay its way at the same time. The answer was a full re-clad with solar panels and battery storage on top.
The challenge
You can’t put solar on a roof that’s about to fail. Before any panels went up, the store needed a new trapezoidal roof. That meant planning the re-clad and the solar as one project, so the new sheeting, fixings and panel layout all worked together.
Farms often use a lot of power early in the morning and in the evening, when solar output is low. So the system needed battery storage to move daytime generation into those busier times. As with any system this size, we also had to secure a connection agreement with the DNO (the local network operator).
What we installed
After the store was re-clad in trapezoidal sheeting, we fitted a 24.64 kWp solar array across the new roof. Fixing straight onto new trapezoidal sheeting is quick and secure, and it leaves the roof watertight.
At the heart of the system is a Fox H3 hybrid inverter, which manages the solar, the battery and the grid all from one unit. It’s paired with Fox EQ4800 battery modules. Because the Fox ESS system is modular, the farm can add more battery capacity later if its needs change.
Timeline
- Spring 2024: roof re-clad and solar and battery system installed
- August 2024: DNO connection agreement in place
Results
We haven’t published a generation figure for this project yet. We only share figures we can stand behind, and we don’t have a reliable measured figure for this site yet. Based on the original system design, we estimate lifetime savings of about £106,509 and a payback period of around 6 years 6 months. These are estimates, and real results will depend on energy prices and how the farm uses its power.
What’s certain is that the farm now has a sound new roof and its own power, with battery storage to make the most of it. As a commercial install, it’s covered by our 24-month workmanship warranty, as well as the manufacturers’ product warranties.
Got a farm building that needs a new roof?
See our farm solar panels page, find out more about battery storage, or read how we handle agricultural commercial solar.
Thinking about re-cladding a shed or store? Contact us for a free survey and quote, for the roof and the solar together.
