Solar panels for farms in Driffield
Most holdings around Driffield already own the best generating site they will ever have, and it is the roof of the shed they built for something else. What decides a farm scheme here is the state of the roof sheets and the incoming supply, which is why the survey looks at both before anyone sizes an array.
870 kWh per kWp a year at this latitude, so a 500 kWp array models at about 435,000 kWh. Source: EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss.
Book a roof survey in DriffieldIllustrative layout for a unit of this size. Your own figures come from the roof survey.
Agricultural rooftop solar across East Riding of Yorkshire
What a farm roof near Driffield generates
Modelled irradiation at this latitude is 1106 kWh per square metre a year in the plane of a shallow-pitched roof, which works out at 870 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 4 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 47.5 MW, with the largest at 49.9 MW. Source: Renewable Energy Planning Database, Q1 2026.
2 roof mounted schemes are on record nearby. Roof arrays under a megawatt frequently never reach that database at all, so the real number of farm roofs generating around Driffield is higher than the record shows.
Most of the buildings we look at here sit in the YO postcode area.
East Riding of Yorkshire 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.
Driffield ranks 1 of 6 towns we cover in East Riding of Yorkshire on modelled yield, against a national mean of 886 kWh per kWp. The county runs from 858 to 870, a spread of 12 kWh per kWp. Within East Riding of Yorkshire that difference is small enough to ignore: where the building sits is not what decides this scheme, your consumption pattern is.
Grid connection through Northern Powergrid
Connections around Driffield are handled by Northern Powergrid, 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 East Riding of Yorkshire the planning database records 86 solar schemes totalling 1439 MW, of which 2 are operational (REPD Q1 2026).
Solar already consented near YO25
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunderlandwick Solar Farm | Elgin Energy EsCo Limited | 49.9 MW | Ground | Awaiting Construction |
| Back Lane, Skerne - Solar Farm & Battery Storage | BayWa r.e. UK Limited | 45 MW | Ground | Awaiting Construction |
| Scurf Dyke - Solar Farm | BayWa r.e. UK Limited | 49.9 MW | Ground | Awaiting Construction |
| Old Chalk Pit, West Back Side - Three Oaks Renewable Park | Ridge Clean Energy Limited | 39 MW | Ground | Awaiting Construction |
| Far Grange Caravan Park, Hornsea Road - Solar Panels | Bourne Leisure Limited | 0.21 MW | Roof | Awaiting Construction |
| A B Graphic International Limited , Wadsworth Road - Solar PV Panels | AB Graphic International Limited | 0.29 MW | Roof | 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 Driffield
- Is there enough sun around Driffield to make this work?
- Modelled at 870 kWh per kWp a year for a shallow-pitched roof at this latitude, which puts a 500 kWp array at roughly 435,000 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 Driffield?
- Only Northern Powergrid 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 East Riding of Yorkshire?
- 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 East Riding of Yorkshire either way.
- Has anyone near YO25 already done this?
- The planning database records 4 ground mounted and 2 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.