Solar panels for farms in Swadlincote
Farm buildings around Swadlincote 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.
856 kWh per kWp a year at this latitude, so a 500 kWp array models at about 428,000 kWh. Source: EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss.
Book a roof survey in SwadlincoteIllustrative layout for a unit of this size. Your own figures come from the roof survey.
Farm building solar PV across Derbyshire
What a farm roof near Swadlincote generates
Modelled irradiation at this latitude is 1094 kWh per square metre a year in the plane of a shallow-pitched roof, which works out at 856 kWh for every kWp installed (EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss). That is about 3 percent below the mean across the areas we cover, so the case here rests on using the output on the holding rather than exporting it.
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 5 MW, with the largest at 49.9 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 Swadlincote is higher than the record shows.
We survey holdings across the DE postcode area, starting from DE11.
South Derbyshire 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.
Swadlincote ranks 3 of 8 towns we cover in Derbyshire on modelled yield, against a national mean of 886 kWh per kWp. The county runs from 805 to 866, a spread of 61 kWh per kWp. On a 500 kWp array that is about 30,500 kWh a year between the strongest and weakest town in the county.
Grid connection through National Grid Electricity Distribution
Connections around Swadlincote are handled by National Grid Electricity Distribution, 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 Derbyshire the planning database records 144 solar schemes totalling 904 MW, of which 27 are operational (REPD Q1 2026).
Solar already consented near DE11
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Hazel Solar Farm | Pearmat Solar | 5 MW | Ground | Operational |
| Land at Sunnyside Court | Ethical Power | 4.9 MW | Ground | Application Refused |
| Brizlincote Hall Solar Farm | Vortex (formerly SunEdison) | 5 MW | Ground | Application Refused |
| Park Road | Earthworm Energy | 5 MW | Ground | Application Refused |
| Lullington Solar Park | Lullington Solar Park Limited | 49.9 MW | Ground | Revised |
| Kiln Way, Woodville - Solar Photovoltaic Panels | Cactus Energy | 0.18 MW | Roof | Revised |
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 Swadlincote
- Is there enough sun around Swadlincote to make this work?
- Modelled at 856 kWh per kWp a year for a shallow-pitched roof at this latitude, which puts a 500 kWp array at roughly 428,000 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 Swadlincote?
- 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 South Derbyshire?
- 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 South Derbyshire either way.
- Has anyone near DE11 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.