Solar panels for farms in Gravesend
Most holdings around Gravesend already own the best generating site they will ever have, and it is the roof of the shed they built for something else. 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.
926 kWh per kWp a year at this latitude, so a 500 kWp array models at about 463,000 kWh. Source: EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss.
Book a roof survey in GravesendIllustrative layout for a unit of this size. Your own figures come from the roof survey.
Farm building solar PV across Kent
What a farm roof near Gravesend generates
Modelled irradiation at this latitude is 1189 kWh per square metre a year in the plane of a shallow-pitched roof, which works out at 926 kWh for every kWp installed (EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss). That is around 5 percent above the mean across the areas we cover, which is as strong as UK farm rooftop gets outside the south coast.
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 Gravesend is higher than the record shows.
We survey holdings across the DA postcode area, starting from DA12.
Gravesham 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.
Gravesend ranks 9 of 12 towns we cover in Kent on modelled yield, against a national mean of 886 kWh per kWp. The county runs from 915 to 990, a spread of 75 kWh per kWp. On a 500 kWp array that is about 37,500 kWh a year between the strongest and weakest town in the county.
Grid connection through UK Power Networks
UK Power Networks operates the distribution network across Kent, 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 Kent the planning database records 237 solar schemes totalling 2072 MW, of which 45 are operational (REPD Q1 2026).
Solar already consented near DA12
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lion Business Park, Dering Way - Solar panels | Industrials Propco 1 Limited | 0.17 MW | Roof | Application Submitted |
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 Gravesend
- Is there enough sun around Gravesend to make this work?
- Modelled at 926 kWh per kWp a year for a shallow-pitched roof at this latitude, which puts a 500 kWp array at roughly 463,000 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 Gravesend?
- 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 Gravesham?
- 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 Gravesham either way.