Solar Photovoltaics (PV) – The Options to Poultry Producers
Read also an interview with a Poultry producer on their experience with Solar PV.
As we all face rising energy costs, and mounting pressure to meet the EU targets set for energy from renewable energy sources; producers are keen to know more on their options surrounding solar PVs and other renewable energy sources.
I met with Conal O’ Reilly of NRG Panel Ireland to discuss the installation of PV of poultry units.
Who should consider installing Solar PV on their poultry unit? Is the investment worthwhile those with a smaller unit?
‘It is all down the type of house they have, whether they are naturally-ventilated or fan-assisted, as an example. However, producers across the board should be looking at putting in solar, the main reason being with the hike in electricity costs. In 2021, producers were paying on average 13.5 cent/unit of electricity. (A unit of electricity is one Kilo-watt hour.) This year it is now 25 – 26 c/kWh. That is after doubling in a 6/7 month period, with it continuing to rise.
Solar is a very good asset for poultry producers, when compared to say dairy producers, they have a constant energy load throughout the day; between lights, ventilation, fans, feeders, running through the day versus a dairy farm with two peaks of energy requirements.’
Solar PV is a very good fit for poultry farms. What this means is that in the warmer days the temperature rises in the house, the ventilation system will begin to run which are a high-energy consumer. The panels will be generating a lot of power due to the increased sunlight and performing to their maximum potential.
Under the TAMS, approximately 30 poultry producers have installed solar PV on their units by NRG Panel Ireland. These producers have noticed that their electricity bills have decreased. Also, with the increase in electricity prices, it was not as harsh as others may have experienced. Solar is a way of future proofing against price hikes in energy costs.’
What steps should a producer who is interested in looking at solar PV take?
‘This will depend on the system or scheme the producer is interested in going for. There is two schemes at the moment. One of these being TAMS, and the BEC – the Better Energy Community. TAMS is more favourable due to the offer of a 60% grant but this is capped. It is capped at 6kW single phase and 11kW three phase. If the farmer installs more than this, they will need to fund this without the TAMS grant. As the size of the system increases, there is more restrictions and limitations. Planning permission will need to be sought as will an ESB connection agreement. This is just a longer process. The BEC is not a dedicated solar grant. The SEAI will look to reduce energy consumption in other ways before they will fund solar installations.
There is a new scheme coming which will allow producers to export electricity. This will be known as the CEP – Clean Export Premium. This will be introduced in the third quarter of 2022. It will allow producers on the Mini-generation scheme to install 6 – 50 kW of solar Pv. They will be able to export up to 80% of this. The local ESB will need to make a decision on the MEC – the Maximum Export Capacity based on location and distance to the transformer. There is an application fee of €977.85. The producer will receive notification of how KWP can be installed and how much energy can be exported to the Network.
The CEP payment will be 13.5 cent/kWh
Anyone who qualifies for the CEP will not receive grant support to install the solar system eg TAMS, Its either one or the other.
When NRG Panel Ireland receive an initial enquiry about installing solar panels, we will conduct a on-site survey. We view the electricity bills, get an understanding of energy consumption. How much is day or night consumption? What are the peak energy times? We will determine the kWh usage and based on that information, we can size and design the most suitable solar system.
Generally, we would recommend producers seek TAMS funding, as the payback will be quick on the investment. If the producer is operating as a sole trader, they can apply for Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA) of 50%, or if operating as a limited company this is 12.5%. So combining the TAMS funding, the ACA and the savings from electricity the payback is generally 3 – 4 years, in some cases even 2 years. If a producer installs a larger system, they will not receive grant funding over 6 kW Single phase or 11 kW Three phase, therefore the payback will be longer. However, when we look at rising energy costs, installing solar can be justified even without grant funding.’
When a producer has made the decision to install solar panels on their unit, is there much installation or maintenance on the system?
‘Generally, the system can be installed in one day. There is very little disruption, keeping the birds stress free. When the panels are sized for the unit, an on-site survey is completed of the building and a electrical inspection completed. The roof type and orientation is documented. We will run a generation report based on orientation, angle of the roof, amount of panels and information obtain from the nearest Met Eireann weather station. Thereafter, we can estimate the savings from the solar energy produced multiplied by the cost of a unit of electricity.
‘Maintenance is very low. The key to a good installation is good design. If panels are placed close to chimney fans, where dust is emitted, the dust can begin to gather on the panels and reduce their efficiency. Most systems are monitored online and therefore, most issues can be resolved remotely.
‘A producer can log in on an app or brower and view the energy production from the panels, and also compare that to the energy being used on site. This energy generated and on site consumption are demonstarted through line and bar graphs and how much of their electricity was covered by renewable energy. This can also allow producers to highlight peak times for energy consumption and allow them to potentially make changes to improve their energy efficiency.’