Agricultural
Farm Solar in Co. Waterford
Solar PV for dairy, beef and tillage farms — local agri specialist, free survey, grants handled end to end
From the dairy country of west Waterford around Dungarvan to the tillage ground further east, Waterford farms have the roofs and the daytime loads that make solar work hard.
Our agri solar specialist, Ronan, is based just over the border in Clonmel — minutes from most of the county — and covers Waterford with farm surveys, honest grant advice and systems designed around how your farm actually uses power.
Meet Ronan and Kieran, our agri solar specialists. Ronan is based in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, and looks after farms across Tipperary, Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford, Carlow, Laois and Clare — real farm surveys walked in person, honest grant advice, and systems designed around how your farm actually uses power.
The Grants, Honestly
On paper the TAMS 3 solar scheme pays 60% — but fewer than 1 in 10 applications now succeed, with the ranking favouring young farmers, female farmers and partnerships that include one. For everyone else, the SEAI Non-Domestic grant has become the practical route: no ranking, no lottery, and much faster. We’ll tell you plainly which one fits your farm — read our full TAMS 3 guide for the details.
What Solar Actually Does on a Waterford Farm
Waterford runs strong dairy country from the Comeragh foothills to the coast, with tillage in the east of the county — and some of the best solar conditions in Ireland along that southern coastline. Dairy parlours carry the classic loads solar attacks best: milk cooling, water heating and washdown. Our agri specialist Ronan covers Waterford from Clonmel, and our biggest published commercial system — 116 kWp at Sun Life in Waterford City — was engineered by the same team that designs our farm systems.
The awkward truth about dairy farms and solar is that milking happens at the edges of the day while solar peaks in the middle — and any installer who doesn’t bring that up isn’t designing honestly. The good news: the middle of the day is exactly when water heating, bulk tank cooling and plate coolers are working, and a well-designed system diverts surplus power into hot water — one of the biggest energy costs in any parlour. With smart diverting, most livestock farms self-use a healthy share of what they generate, and an export connection earns credit for the rest.
Worked example: 25 kWp dairy, Co. Waterford
A mid-sized parlour might suit 25 kWp: an SEAI grant of €7,600 and roughly 23,750 units a year on the south coast’s generous sun. The free survey turns that into exact figures for your farm.
Quick Estimator: What Would Solar Look Like on Your Farm?
Enter your approximate annual electricity spend and we’ll estimate a sensible system size, your SEAI grant, and annual generation. (Indicative only — a free farm survey gives you exact figures.)
Common Questions from Farmers
Milking happens morning and evening — will I even use the power?
Yes, if the system is designed for it. Water heating and milk cooling run through the day, and a hot-water diverter turns midday surplus into the hottest wash water you’ve ever had for free. What’s left exports for bill credit. We design around your actual usage pattern — that’s the point of the survey.
Should I wait for TAMS?
Honestly: for most farmers, no. TAMS solar approvals have become rare, and waiting for a tranche that may not come has a real cost in electricity you keep buying. The SEAI Non-Domestic grant is available now, with no ranking and no lottery. Our TAMS guide covers both routes honestly.
My shed roof is old — can it take panels?
Usually, but we check rather than assume: panel loading is modest, and we assess the structure as part of the survey. One honest caveat — older asbestos-cement roofs need proper assessment before any roof work, and we’ll tell you straight if a roof isn’t suitable rather than mount on it anyway.
How long does the install take?
Typically 1–3 days on site for a farm system, scheduled around milking — our crews are farm people and they know not to arrive at 7am through the cows.
As featured in the Irish Farmers Journal — in print and online (read our piece on when panels make their power) — and on Agriland: saving energy while milking cows.
Why Farmers Choose ProSolar
- A local agri specialist who walks the yard — not a quote generated from a map
- Free farm survey — designed around your roofs, your usage and your connection
- All paperwork handled — grants, certification and ESB Networks notification
- Installed around farm life — scheduled to avoid milking, typically 1–3 days on site
Start With a Free Farm Survey
Call 064 770 2000 or request a free quote and our agri team will assess what solar is worth to your farm — and which grant will actually get you there.
Farm solar in nearby counties: Co. Tipperary · Co. Kilkenny · Co. Wexford — or see all our agricultural solar services.
Not a farm? See commercial solar in Co. Waterford.