Solar panels for farms in Kettering
Most holdings around Kettering 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.
895 kWh per kWp a year at this latitude, so a 500 kWp array models at about 448,000 kWh. Source: EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss.
Book a roof survey in KetteringIllustrative layout for a unit of this size. Your own figures come from the roof survey.
Farm building solar PV across Northamptonshire
What a farm roof near Kettering generates
Modelled irradiation at this latitude is 1144 kWh per square metre a year in the plane of a shallow-pitched roof, which works out at 895 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.
3 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 Kettering is higher than the record shows.
We survey holdings across the NN postcode area, starting from NN16.
North Northamptonshire 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.
Kettering ranks 4 of 7 towns we cover in Northamptonshire on modelled yield, against a national mean of 886 kWh per kWp. The county runs from 890 to 900, a spread of 10 kWh per kWp. Within Northamptonshire that difference is small enough to ignore: where the building sits is not what decides this scheme, your consumption pattern is.
Grid connection through National Grid Electricity Distribution
National Grid Electricity Distribution operates the distribution network across Northamptonshire, 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 Northamptonshire the planning database records 133 solar schemes totalling 1932 MW, of which 25 are operational (REPD Q1 2026).
Solar already consented near NN16
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morrisons Supermarket, Lower Street - Solar Panels | Sigma Grp | 0.42 MW | Roof | Awaiting Construction |
| Sainsburys, Rockingham Road - Solar PV Panels | Sainsburys Supermarkets Limited | 0.28 MW | Roof | Awaiting Construction |
| Belgrave Retail Park, Northfield Avenue - Solar Panels | Ashcroft Electrical Services Limited | 0.2 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 Kettering
- How much does a farm roof near Kettering generate?
- The model gives 895 kWh for every kWp installed here, so 500 kWp comes out at about 448,000 kWh a year before shading losses. A building of roughly 1,485 sqm of clear roof carries it. Source: EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss.
- Will the rural network around Kettering take the export?
- National Grid Electricity Distribution is the distribution network operator for Northamptonshire. Anything above 3.68 kW per phase connects under G99, and the application sets the export limit. Rural supplies are often the binding constraint, so we ask the question before an array is sized.
- Is planning permission needed for panels on a farm building near Kettering?
- Usually permitted development covers a roof array. Ground mounted arrays are a different question and are far more likely to need a full application. We put both to North Northamptonshire before design sign-off.
- Has anyone near NN16 already done this?
- The planning database records 0 ground mounted and 3 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.