Published: June 10, 2026
Written by: Briain Kelly
Reading time: 6mins
Solar Panel Grants for Farmers
The Solar Capital Investment Scheme is a grant programme aimed specifically at funding solar panels for farms, which can cover up to 60% of the cost of solar PV systems. This grant falls under the TAMS 3 programme from the Department of Agriculture.
How much is the solar grant for farms worth?
Farm solar grants under the TAMS 3 programme can cover up to 60% of the cost of your solar PV system up to an investment ceiling of €90,000.
This means that the maximum grant you can receive from the TAMS 3 agricultural solar grant is €54,000. You can still get more solar panels above the €90,000 project cost, but they will not receive any additional funding.
Funding is awarded per holding, meaning that you can make multiple grant applications in the same tranche for multiple farm holdings.
The level of grant funding you will receive is calculated based on the lowest value of the following figures:
- 1The Department’s Reference Costings applicable at the date of approval.
- 2The total of the eligible invoices marked “paid”, after subtracting VAT and the value of any of your own labour or machinery used, deemed to be eligible by the Department.
- 3The cost of the investment proposed by the applicant indicated on their application.
Eligible investments include solar PV panels, inverters, and battery storage, subject to the 50% rule (explained in detail further down).
Eligibility Criteria for the Solar Capital Investment Scheme
There are a number of criteria that the applicant, their land, and the solar PV system in question must meet in order to qualify for this grant scheme.
To start with, the project must involve a minimum investment of €2,000 to qualify. This shouldn’t be a problem for any solar PV system.
Land Eligibility Requirements
- 1
The applicant must own, lease, or rent a land holding of at least five hectares in size.
- 2Land that is part of a dwelling, associated buildings or amenity space is not eligible.
- 3Land used for commercial forestry, quarries, or gravel pits, or is permanently underwater is not eligible.
- 4Land held in fee simple subject to grazing rights or turbary rights is not eligible unless those rights have not been exercised in five years.
- 5If a land holding has been determined to have been artificially created to maximise benefits from the scheme, then the application may be rejected.
Farm Eligibility Requirements
- 1The farm must have a department identifier.
- 2The farm must have been declared under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) or equivalent in the year of application or the preceding year.
- 3If the farm is an intensive enterprise it must generate a minimum of 20 production units from farming.
General Eligibility Requirements
- 1100% of the power generated by the solar PV system must be for self-consumption on the farm (including private dwelling).
- 2The maximum system size which is eligible for grant aid is 62kWp. More solar panels can be installed, but they will not be considered for grant funding.
- 3Applications cannot be made on behalf of a deceased individual unless the applicant can prove a grant of probate or administration intestate, and identify the beneficiaries of the estate.
- 4You must not have received any national or EU funding for investments and/or actions qualifying for aid under this Scheme.
How many solar panels can you install with the TAMS 3 grant?
The maximum size solar PV system allowable under the TAMS 3 grant is determined by how much electricity the farm uses for agricultural purposes.
There is also a ceiling of 62 kWp for the agricultural solar grant programme. Anything beyond that can only be installed at your own expense.
So in order for your grant application to be accepted, the ‘deemed annual output’ from the solar panels must not exceed the annual electricity demand on your farm.
The number of solar panels you can install with the aid of the TAMS 3 grant is therefore determined by your farm’s electricity usage.
Key Tip: The electricity usage in a residential property on a farm holding is not included in the annual electricity demand of the farm. If there is a residence on the MPRN, then 4,200 kWh per dwelling house will be deducted from the electricity demand used to calculate this threshold.
How is this electricity usage calculated?
When submitting your application for a farm solar grant, you must include an ‘On Farm Solar PV Survey (Supplementary Application Information)’ form. This is used to quantify the farm’s electricity demand based on two pieces of information.
- An ESB Networks account statement for the MPRN for the calendar year prior to the application.
- The latest available electricity bill at the time of application.
Getting Solar Batteries with the Farm Solar Grant
The TAMS 3 grant also provides funding for farms to install battery storage systems. The eligibility criteria for solar batteries is determined by the size of the solar PV system being installed.
Solar batteries are funded by the grant up to 50% capacity of the maximum output of the solar PV system being installed.
Example: If you are installing a 20kWp solar PV system then you can receive grant funding for a maximum of 10kWh of battery storage capacity.
How to Apply for and Claim Farm Solar Grants
Applications to the solar panel grant scheme for farmers must be made online, with postal or email applications not accepted.
In order to apply, you must be registered with the Department of Agriculture for online services. The grant application is made through that same portal.
If a grant application is unsuccessful in one tranche, then it will automatically be rolled over to the next one.
If it is not approved for a second time, then the grant application will revert to a draft state and you must start again.
1. Electricity Usage & System Sizing
Determine how much electricity is used in your farm operations in a normal year. This includes subtracting any domestic electricity usage from dwellings on site. This will tell you the maximum solar PV system size which can be installed.
2. Get Quotes from a Solar Installer
Choose a solar installer and get a solar PV system design including its expected power output, all materials involved, and the price.
1. Gather Required Documents
Once you are ready to apply, you will need to gather a significant number of documents about your farm in order to make the application:
- On Farm Solar PV Survey with ESB Networks statement and electricity bills.
- Copies of drawings and the farm structure layout plan.
- A farmyard layout plan.
- A site location map identifying the location for the proposed solar PV system.
- Ownership documents to a scale not greater than 1:5,000 or a BPS/BISS Application Map, together with LPIS numbers identifying the relevant land parcels.
- A copy of a company’s Companies Registration Office Certificate and Memorandum and Articles of Association or one document constitution.
- Grant of full and final planning permission including conditions or declaration of exemption including maps, where applicable.
- A copy of any appropriate Environmental Impact Assessment undertaken as part of the planning process, where applicable.
- Copies of drawings on which planning permission or declaration of exemption, including maps was obtained.
- In certain cases, an engineer’s report (as per paragraph 5.3(c) of Scheme conditions.
- Evidence of leasehold title (copy of valid lease including maps) for each site.
All plans and drawings submitted with this application must include the Eircode or GPS reference of site location.
2. Make Online Application
When you have the documentation required you should apply for the SCIS grant online through the Department of Agriculture’s portal at www.agfood.ie.
3. Await Grant Approval
Wait to receive approval of your grant before going ahead with any installation work. Any work done before the grant is approved will not be eligible for funding. If any application is not successful in one tranche, it will be automatically rolled over to the next. If it is unsuccessful in two tranches, you must start again.
4. Install Solar Panels
Once you have grant approval, you can have your solar PV system installed. Be sure to keep receipts for all items involved in the process.
1. Gather All Documents
Ensure that you have all the required documents related to the installation of the solar PV system before making a claim for payment. Along with receipts for all elements of the solar PV system, you will need the following documents:
- A geo-tagged photograph of each sub-investment completed. The photograph must show the extent of the relevant sub-investment.
- Evidence of completion of Farm Safety Code of Practice within 5 years of Application date.
- Marriage Certificate in the case of a lease to a spouse.
- Receipts and bank statements if requested.
- Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate.
- Contractors Tax Clearance Certificate.
- Quality certificates (Electrical, Protection of Steel work, CE certificates, Welding Cert etc.).
- Where amendments have been made to Approved building plans, including Planning Permission, then revised drawings/Planning Permission must be submitted with Claim.
- Solar PV Panel Installation, Testing and Commissioning Certificate.
- Completed ESB Networks NC5, NC6, NC7 or NC8 Form.
2. Make Payment Claim
You must make the claim for payment within 12 months of the date of approval. This can be extended by a further 6 months on application if needed.
The claim of payment must be done online and all in one go. Part payments are not allowed under the scheme.
How are grant applications assessed?
Applications to the Solar Capital Investment Scheme are assessed and prioritised based on a number of factors. The Department uses a marking sheet to score the following factors:
- The age of the applicant (younger farmers receive priority)
- The size of the holding
- Any part of a holding in an Area of Natural Constraint
- Nitrates Production Prior to Export
Mistakes to Avoid with Agricultural Solar Panel Grants
There are a number of things you can do, and mistakes to avoid, to ensure that your grant application isn’t rejected. Even more important is making sure that you don’t break the terms of the scheme after your grant has been approved.
Some of the harshest penalties are applied to the errors below, but this list is not exhaustive and you should consult with the Department’s guidelines.
Installing Solar Panels on a Farmhouse
While a residential dwelling on a farm is not eligible for funding under the Solar Capital Investment Scheme, there is another grant you can use for solar panels on a farmhouse.
The SEAI’s Solar PV Scheme offers up to €1,800 in funding for domestic solar panels. This includes farmhouses, even if you have also received a different grant for solar PV for the farm business.
FAQs
No, using your own, or a family member’s, labour or machinery for the solar PV installation is not allowed under the grant scheme rules.
If your grant application is rejected, that decision can be appealed to the Agriculture Appeals Office. This must be done in writing within three months of the decision.
Planning permission is not needed to install solar panels on any farm building unless you are in a solar safeguarding zone. In an SSZ, planning is required for rooftop solar covering over 300m². Ground-mounted solar panels are also exempt from planning up to an area of 75m².
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Author:
Briain Kelly
EDITOR
Briain Kelly is a Leinster based journalist and content creator who has been writing about energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies for several years now. He researches the latest news in multiple areas related to solar power, electric vehicles, heat pumps, and home energy upgrades. His writing includes both technological developments and government policy.
