Solar panels for farms in Falmouth
Farm buildings around Falmouth carry broad, shallow roofs that were put up for storage and stock, not for generation. Each survey records the sheet type and condition, the usable area once rooflights and vents come out, and whether the supply is single or three phase.
943 kWh per kWp a year at this latitude, so a 500 kWp array models at about 472,000 kWh. Source: EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss.
Book a roof survey in FalmouthIllustrative layout for a unit of this size. Your own figures come from the roof survey.
Farm building solar PV across Cornwall
What a farm roof near Falmouth generates
Modelled irradiation at this latitude is 1203 kWh per square metre a year in the plane of a shallow-pitched roof, which works out at 943 kWh for every kWp installed (EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss). That is around 6 percent above the mean across the areas we cover, which is as strong as UK farm rooftop gets outside the south coast.
The planning record lists 2 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 5.2 MW, with the largest at 5.3 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 Falmouth is higher than the record shows.
We survey holdings across the TR postcode area, starting from TR11.
Cornwall 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.
Falmouth ranks 2 of 8 towns we cover in Cornwall on modelled yield, against a national mean of 886 kWh per kWp. The county runs from 921 to 979, a spread of 58 kWh per kWp. On a 500 kWp array that is about 29,000 kWh a year between the strongest and weakest town in the county.
Solar already consented near TR11
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LITTLE TREVEASE SOLAR PARK | Private Developer | 5.3 MW | Ground | Operational |
| Higher Tregarne Solar Farm | John Laing Environmental Assets | 5 MW | Ground | Operational |
| Watson Marlow, Bickland Water Road - Solar Pv Panels | Watson Marlow Limited/Bio Pure Technology | 0.34 MW | Roof | Awaiting Construction |
Grid connection through National Grid Electricity Distribution
National Grid Electricity Distribution operates the distribution network across Cornwall, so the export application goes to them. Anything larger than 3.68 kW per phase falls under G99, which means an application before commissioning rather than a notification afterwards. A constrained network is not the end of a scheme. Capping export costs little when the building already absorbs most of what the roof produces.
Across Cornwall the planning database records 174 solar schemes totalling 1116 MW, of which 88 are operational (REPD Q1 2026).
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 Falmouth
- Is there enough sun around Falmouth to make this work?
- Modelled at 943 kWh per kWp a year for a shallow-pitched roof at this latitude, which puts a 500 kWp array at roughly 472,000 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 Falmouth?
- Only National Grid Electricity Distribution 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 Cornwall?
- 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 Cornwall either way.
- Has anyone near TR11 already done this?
- The planning database records 2 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.