Farm Energy Systems
Farm micro grid systems
built for self-sufficiency
Solar, wind, battery storage and backup generation — combined into one intelligent energy system. NAPIT registered installers across Lancashire and the UK.
90%+
Self-sufficiency achievable
24/7
Island mode resilience
4–7 yr
Typical payback period
£0
Grid cost potential in summer
What is a farm micro grid?
Your farm, running on its own power
A farm micro grid ties together solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage and backup generation into a single intelligent energy system. Rather than each technology operating in isolation, a micro grid controller balances generation, storage and load in real time — maximising self-consumption, reducing grid dependency and providing resilience when the grid goes down.
For farms with high and variable energy demands — livestock ventilation, grain drying, refrigeration, irrigation pumps — a micro grid is the most cost-effective long-term energy strategy available.
Discuss your micro gridSolar PV
Rooftop or ground-mount solar arrays sized to your farm's daytime consumption profile.
Wind turbines
New installations or repowered existing turbines — wind complements solar perfectly across seasons.
Battery storage
Sunsynk and SolaX battery systems store surplus generation for use at night and during peak demand.
Micro grid controller
An intelligent controller balances all sources in real time and manages island mode switching automatically.
Why a micro grid?
Built for the demands of modern farming
Island mode resilience
Keep critical loads — ventilation, refrigeration, lighting — running independently during grid outages. Essential for livestock farms.
Dramatically lower bills
Farms achieving 90%+ self-sufficiency can eliminate their electricity bill entirely during summer months.
Smart Export Guarantee income
Qualifying installations earn SEG payments on every unit exported to the grid — a year-round revenue stream.
Solar & wind synergy
Solar peaks in summer; wind peaks in autumn and winter. Combined, they provide far more consistent generation year-round.
Maximise self-consumption
Battery storage captures surplus midday solar and releases it during evening peak demand — nothing is wasted.
Future-proof investment
A micro grid grows with your farm. Add hydro, EV charging or additional storage capacity as your needs evolve.
Case study
80kW solar + 50kW wind + 200kWh storage
A mixed arable and livestock farm required a resilient energy system capable of island mode operation. We combined an 80kW ground-mount solar array with a repowered 50kW wind turbine and 200kWh of Sunsynk battery storage, managed by a single micro grid controller.
80kW
Solar output
50kW
Wind output
200kWh
Battery storage
88%
Self-sufficiency
Common questions
Farm micro grid FAQs
What is a farm micro grid?
A farm micro grid combines solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage and backup generation into a single intelligent energy system. A central controller balances all sources in real time, maximising self-consumption and providing island mode capability — keeping critical farm loads running even during grid outages.
How much does a farm micro grid cost?
Costs vary depending on the size of your farm, existing infrastructure and the technologies included. Most systems combine solar PV, battery storage and optionally wind or hydro. We carry out a free site survey and provide a detailed proposal tailored to your energy profile and budget.
What is island mode?
Island mode allows your farm to operate completely independently of the national grid during a power cut. The micro grid controller detects a grid outage and automatically switches critical loads — livestock ventilation, refrigeration, lighting — to run from your own solar, wind and battery reserves.
Can I earn money from a farm micro grid?
Yes. Any surplus electricity exported to the grid earns Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) payments. Some farms eliminate their electricity bill entirely during summer months and generate SEG income year-round.
New wind turbine installations
GEVI wind turbines — generating when the sun doesn't shine
New wind turbine installations
GEVI wind turbines — generating when the sun doesn't shine
Solar panels are outstanding value for money, but they have one limitation: they generate nothing at night and very little in winter. For farms and commercial sites with high year-round energy demand — poultry units, dairy farms, cold stores, grain driers — that gap matters.
Squirrel Energy now installs GEVI small commercial wind turbines, designed specifically to complement solar generation in farm and rural commercial micro grid systems. GEVI turbines generate continuously — day and night, and with greatest output in autumn and winter, precisely when solar generation is at its lowest. The two technologies are naturally complementary: solar peaks in summer, wind peaks in winter, and together they provide a far more consistent year-round generation profile than either alone.
Combined with battery storage, a GEVI turbine and solar array can supply the majority of a farm's electricity demand across all seasons, dramatically reducing grid dependency and energy costs throughout the year — not just during the summer months.
Learn more about GEVI turbines
Solar + wind + battery
Why combining solar and wind gives you better year-round coverage
Winter generation
Wind speeds in Lancashire and the North of England are highest between October and March — exactly when solar output is lowest. A GEVI turbine fills the winter energy gap that solar alone cannot cover.
Night-time generation
Solar generates nothing after dark. A wind turbine generates continuously, charging your battery storage overnight so you start each morning with a full battery rather than drawing from the grid.
Higher self-sufficiency
Solar alone typically achieves 40–60% self-sufficiency on a farm. Adding a GEVI turbine and battery storage can push that figure to 70–85% or higher, depending on site wind resource and energy profile.
Smart Export Guarantee income
Surplus wind generation is exported to the grid and earns SEG payments, just like solar. A combined solar and wind system maximises export income across all seasons.
Integrated energy management
GEVI turbines integrate with the same micro grid controllers we use for solar and battery storage, giving you a single intelligent system that balances all generation sources in real time.
Technical specifications
| Nominal power | 3 kW |
| Rotor diameter | 6 m |
| Rotor height | 4 m |
| Blade height | 2.9 m |
| Cut-in wind speed | 2.4 m/s |
| Nominal wind speed | 10.5 m/s |
| Cut-off wind speed | 17 m/s |
| Noise level | < 38 dB SPL @ 10 m |
| Operating life | 25 years |
Annual energy output varies by site wind resource — we provide a site-specific assessment as part of every installation proposal.
Free site survey
Ready to design your farm micro grid?
We'll carry out a free site survey, assess your generation potential and design a system tailored to your farm's energy profile and budget.