Solar panels get €1,000/acre so what’s the catch?

What's the general success rate of these planning applications for solar farms? I imagine objections are raised, does it halt things or do they eventually get through?

You'd want to read the thread yourself again lad. The land sold is adjacent a substation as stated by Dmakc. Energy companies need direct access to the substation as required by Eirgrid. These companies have to purchase at least one acre and lease as much as they deem necessary.

Waterjohn small solar farms dont seem be viable anymore. The ones I see going for planning have 200+ acres optioned. Maybe 5 years ago that day has passed.

had them here about 2 months ago with a solid offer, 1200 an acre and 2% increase annually. I told them they were miles off with the numbers & risk involved. Land around here makes 20k, easily get 500 an acre tax free and inflation over 35 years is about 4.5%. They weren’t impressed with my response and argued the numbers, found it all a bit arrogant tbh

Unless you're really clued in, I wouldn't begin to negotiate with any co. Get a professional in the area to act on your behalf and I don't mean a local solr or auctioneer.

That was a very good offer. I expect I would have taken it. Maybe the annual increase could be linked to CPI or CPI plus 1%.

The toll roads work on a CPI basis, I believe. That 500 per acre won't last and might be hard collected.

Even with the panels there would be grazing of sheep allowed.

I think it’s all dependent on land type & value tbh, your farm is basically gone as is control over it.

I remember those low ball offers the time of the wind farms, they just hold their line until they find people who grab the small money. I know of a community who got together and asked for 10 times what was offered for a wayleave for a powerline, they settled for 7 times and the last few who held out got to almost naming their price or just refuse as suited them.

It was all a matter to the developers after, if they met mugs, great, if not they just paid up.

I was calculating that for the last 35 years inflation here averaged 4.5%

Just for round figures I figured out €1,000 over 35 years at 4.5% = €4,700

At 2% which is the solar farms annual growth being offered for the rent that’s just €1,999

My own great grandfather bought our farm, a couple hundred acres in the late 1940’s for something like £4,800 and by the late 1970’s just 1 acre of land was making £4,000. So over 30 years the price of a big farm had become the price of 1 acre, all thanks to inflation

Anyone signing up to the solar farm’s would be better off to throw the handle after the hatchet and just sell up and make use of the tax breaks where you can avoid paying any CGT if you’ve been farming the land for 20 years or whatever it is

Hearing a lot of sad stories of fellas very down on their luck signing up to it lately. Fellas getting taken advantage of.

Oh Jay's, it's conformation of what fools we all are, in 1990 I sold a few yearling limousine bullocks in skibbereen old mart, for 1100 pounds each. There was probably 1 punch left.

They should be making 5000 today so.

I know its not electricity related, but besides property what has kept up with that inflation

A rental of 1200 per acre is close to 5%, which is near where the turbine rental payment is pitched.

You don't loose the land to turbines though.

As I said already, don't be be using the services of your local rural town solr when dealing with such business. As pointed out above the indexing of the rental is what's key. Also be aware of the farm/business relief implications.

Persumably for panels it's x amount per acre or 3.5-4% of the gross income, which ever is greater? Or that's the it is for turbines anyways.

Nothing from TAMS

Like the turbines, the whole thing is a rip off of the landowner, the money is only going one way, and that's out the gap!

The farm organisations sold out farmers on the energy bonanza.

The rates should be multiples of what's offered.

Your right there.