Back in 2010, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) reported that only 5% of farmers in the UK were utilising their land to produce renewable energy. However, it appears as time has gone by, the extensive benefits of renewable generation both to farmers and to the country has been realised and popularity is increasing dramatically.
Recently, Farmers Weekly, Nottingham Trent University and Forum for the Future teamed up to create a survey, asking 700 farmers across the UK everything they could about renewable energy. As it turns out, things couldn’t look more different than they did in 2010.
Of those asked, 38% now said they currently generated renewable energy on their land; a massive increase from the 5% back in 2010. The survey results further revealed that 76% of farmers believed that renewable energy could play a greater role in the future of their businesses. The tradition of using the UK’s countryside for food production is not being displaced, as 99% of those asked said they thought the countryside should continue to be utilised in this way. What is promising is that a surprising 77% said they thought UK land should be used for generating renewable energy, suggesting that renewables is now a prolific form of farm diversification and will become increasingly so in the foreseeable future.
Although solar PV came out as the most popular form of renewable generation for farmers, wind turbines followed a close second and are set to increase in popularity in the coming years. Many farmers have combined both solar panels and turbines as they work well together, both requiring small areas of land.
Of those who already generated renewable energy on their land, the majority said the main benefit was financial, followed closely by a sense of contribution towards national agenda and national energy security. All felt that renewable energy generation provided a good return of investment compared with more traditional farming methods.
Overall, the survey revealed positive results by showing that those who are already generating renewable energy on their farms are finding it a hugely positive project, and over two thirds are considering renewables in the near future, proving renewable energy generation is becoming an increasingly popular option for farmers across the UK.