5 acre Solar Farm

monseiur

Hi all, I'm new here and just looking for general advise, direction

I have a 5 acre plot of land, south & west facing, on which I'm considering developing a solar ''pv farm'', panels will be ground mounted and all power generated to be connected to the nearest ESB's sub station. Haven't discussed this yet with ESB, just trying to get my ducks in a row first.

My plan is to do it phases (if that's possible) so that phase 1 would help finance phase 2 etc. all of course subject to planning permission.

I assume there are grants available for a project like this? Any advise on first vital steps to take would be greatly appreciated as I'm on a big learning curve.

graememk

Ive changed the title to be a bit more informative rather than "PV"

There is a page on ESBN website that shows substation/transformer capacity, I don't have it to hand.

You'll need a 3 phase connection, .

No grants that I know of.

Quick Google says 800-1000 panels per acre so that is 400kW per acre.

5 acres would be 2MW... Might not be as small scale as I thought!

monseiur

Thanks graememk, greatly appreciated.

I'll check the ESBN website, I guess if there are no grants the project will not proceed as the upfront costs would be prohibitive. But if the dreaded greens are back in power after the elections who knows what grants they may dream up to justify their green tag.

graememk

A lot of the websites I've seen are ones looking to lease the land for solar PV (About 1000-1500/acre/year)

This article is somewhat informative.

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/focus/renewables/are-small-scale-solar-farms-viable-692252

jkforde

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122702290#Comment_122702290

roi seems doubtful without policy-led grant aid, so you would accept a dreaded Green's grant? or wouldn't?

monseiur

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122702680#Comment_122702680

From what I have read over the last few days it seems that no roi is to be expected in the first 15 years approx

Regarding the grants - I would accept grants from any government agency without issue, after all it's our hard earned taxes that's been redistributed - even it's EU funded we're net contributors to the EU coffers for a number of years now so it's our money going out to Brussels and a small portion is returned to us in the form of grant assistance etc.

As for the greens they're deluded and living in cloud cuckoo land. They were a tiny part of the present and previous governments yet they managed to get draconian laws & regulations on the statute books that, if strictly implemented, will bankrupt the countries economy in years to come.

We all have an obligation to work day & night from now to election day to ensure that the greens are consigned to history and just a bad memory, sadly it will take years to undo the damage that they and their collaborators have already done.

conor_mc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122705740#Comment_122705740

Er, specifically which laws and regulations? Not to put too fine a point on it, but it was largely non-Green governments around the world that got us into this climate change and ecological diversity mess, no?

jkforde

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122705740#Comment_122705740

genuinely interested, which laws are you referring to and exactly how will they bankrupt the country? I'd like to know as I keep seeing and reading this kind of thing.

...Ghost...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122736101#Comment_122736101

If they weren't trying to force us all onto bicycles, there'd have been no bicycle shelter costing 335k