Solar panels for farms in March
The case for solar on a March holding turns on how much of the output the farm uses itself, not on how much the roof makes. The survey starts on the covering: fibre cement or steel, its remaining life, the purlin spacing and what the frame will carry.
900 kWh per kWp a year at this latitude, so a 500 kWp array models at about 450,000 kWh. Source: EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss.
Book a roof survey in MarchIllustrative layout for a unit of this size. Your own figures come from the roof survey.
Solar for agricultural buildings across Cambridgeshire
What a farm roof near March generates
Modelled irradiation at this latitude is 1154 kWh per square metre a year in the plane of a shallow-pitched roof, which works out at 900 kWh for every kWp installed (EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss). That sits within a few percent of the mean across the areas we cover, so what decides the scheme is your own demand pattern rather than the latitude.
The planning record lists 5 ground mounted solar schemes in this postcode district, which is a fair guide to how the local network has treated field arrays. The typical consented scheme in this district is about 1.1 MW, with the largest at 49.8 MW. Source: Renewable Energy Planning Database, Q1 2026.
1 roof mounted scheme is on record nearby. Roof arrays under a megawatt frequently never reach that database at all, so the real number of farm roofs generating around March is higher than the record shows.
Surveys run across PE postcodes, PE15 outward.
Fenland is the planning authority for most holdings here, and it is the authority that decides whether an array on an agricultural building falls inside permitted development.
March ranks 6 of 8 towns we cover in Cambridgeshire on modelled yield, against a national mean of 886 kWh per kWp. The county runs from 898 to 908, a spread of 10 kWh per kWp. Within Cambridgeshire that difference is small enough to ignore: where the building sits is not what decides this scheme, your consumption pattern is.
Grid connection through UK Power Networks
Connections around March are handled by UK Power Networks, which sets the export limit for the site. Above 3.68 kW per phase the connection runs under G99, so the export limit is agreed in advance rather than assumed. Where the local network is constrained, an export-limited connection usually still makes the scheme work, because a farm uses most of what the roof makes during the working day.
Across Cambridgeshire the planning database records 172 solar schemes totalling 2422 MW, of which 46 are operational (REPD Q1 2026).
Solar already consented near PE15
From the government's Renewable Energy Planning Database, Q1 2026. These are the schemes on record in this postcode district, which is a fair guide to how the local network has been treating export applications.
| Scheme | Operator | Capacity | Mounting | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights End Road Solar Farm | Caledon Partners (Solar Power Parks) | 5 MW | Ground | Planning Permission Expired |
| Asksham Community Village Solar Farm | Engerera Renewables Limited | 0.15 MW | Ground | Under Construction |
| Willow Farm | BeBa Energy UK Limited | 1.15 MW | Ground | Operational |
| Linwood Farm, Linwood Lane - Solar Panels | BeBa Energy UK Limited | 0.41 MW | Roof | Awaiting Construction |
| West Fen Farm, Whitemoor Road - Solar Farm | Pathfinder Clean Energy UK Dev Limited | 49.8 MW | Ground | Application Submitted |
| Storelogs Holdings, Marwick Road - Solar PV Array | Storelogs Holdings Limited | 0.27 MW | Ground | Awaiting Construction |
Send us the postcode
Tell us where the unit is and roughly how big the roof is. We come back with what it can carry, what it would generate against your consumption, and the three ways to pay for it.
Lenzie Consulting Ltd arranges the survey and passes your details to our MCS-certified installation partner so they can quote.
Questions about solar in March
- Is there enough sun around March to make this work?
- Modelled at 900 kWh per kWp a year for a shallow-pitched roof at this latitude, which puts a 500 kWp array at roughly 450,000 kWh a year before shading. That array needs about 1,485 sqm of clear roof once ridge vents and walkways are allowed for. Source: EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss.
- Who do we apply to for export near March?
- Only UK Power Networks can answer it for your connection, and on rural feeders the answer varies farm to farm. An export-limited offer usually still works, because a holding with grain drying, cooling or ventilation uses most of what it makes.
- Do we need planning permission in Fenland?
- In most cases no, because panels on the roof of an agricultural building usually sit within permitted development. The exceptions are listed buildings, conservation areas, protected landscapes and arrays that stand proud of the roof. We check with Fenland either way.
- Has anyone near PE15 already done this?
- The planning database records 5 ground mounted and 1 roof mounted solar schemes in this postcode district. That matters less as proof it works and more as evidence of how the local network has treated export applications. Roof arrays under a megawatt often never appear in the database, so the real figure is higher. Source: Renewable Energy Planning Database, Q1 2026.