Energy prices concern: ‘You can see it in their faces’

There has been an “upsurge” in farmers showing “huge” interest in installing solar PV, all with the hope of curtailing their energy bills.

“You can see it in their faces” as farmers’ fear grows over energy costs.

Jerome Carlin, director of Alternative Energy, a Co Tyrone-based company that provides solar PV installations, said that there has been an “upsurge” in farmers showing “huge” interest in installing solar PV, all with the hope of curtailing their energy bills.

This comes as this week, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue confirmed that the new Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme, announced in Budget 2023, will provide support for farmers and food businesses.

Mr McConalogue has also secured an increase in the TAMS budget, to fund the proposed large-scale investment in on-farm renewables for farmers, subject to the approval of the European Commission.

“There will be an increase in TAMS funding to €90m, and this will help fund the proposed increase to 60% grant rate and a standalone investment ceiling of €90,000 for solar installation,” Mr McConalogue said.

“As an immediate step, farm dwellings are now eligible for inclusion for solar panel investments.”

This will be welcomed by farmers, as Mr Carlin, who was exhibiting at the National Ploughing Championships last week, told the Examiner one man visited his tent “and he actually said: ‘help me’”.

“I felt sorry for him, his energy bill was so high,” Mr Carlin said.

Speaking about farmer concerns around the coming months, Mr Carlin said “you can see it in their faces”.

Mr Carlin said that Alternative Energy has “fitted solar in every county in Ireland”, and has seen the potential and proof of farmers making massive savings as a result of installing the technology.

“Dairy farmers can save anything up to 80% of their energy bill,” Mr Carlin added, with that depending on the size of the system that can be installed.

While often, the cost of solar PV installation is cited as a barrier to their widespread adoption on farms in Ireland, Mr Carlin said farmers “now see the way energy prices are going”, and while “solar was always viable”, it is “especially more so now”.