Scottish Borders farm solar for hill sheep, suckler beef and the Merse

Livestock hills and arable lowlands

The Scottish Borders is one of the main sheep areas in Britain, with hill and upland flocks across the Cheviots, Ettrick and Lammermuirs, and suckler beef on the lower ground. The Merse of Berwickshire is a different landscape, with large arable farms growing cereals and oilseed rape.

Sheds and space

Lambing sheds and cattle courts give big roofs, though some older ones need a structural check. Many hill farms have plenty of land near the steading, so a ground-mount array is often an option where the roof is not.

Rural lines and SP Energy Networks

The Borders are covered by SP Energy Networks. Remote farms are often on long overhead lines, so we check export capacity and may recommend storage.

How the power is used

Lambing-time lighting and heat lamps, water pumps, sheep handling equipment, workshops and Merse grain stores all benefit from on-site generation.

In the Merse, grain stores with drying floors and aeration fans run heavily after harvest, while hill farms have their own peak at lambing. Either way, we look at the full year of bills rather than one season so the system is not oversized for the quieter months.