Solar panels for a farm or ranch: full sizing guide

A farm or ranch has very different loads than urban housing: irrigation pumps, livestock barns, walk-in coolers, main residence and sometimes drying or processing. Good news: lots of surface, usually great orientation. Bad news: highly seasonal consumption.

Load inventory

• Main residence: 8-15 kWh/day
• Well pump (4 hr/day): 4-8 kWh/day
• Drip or sprinkler irrigation: 10-30 kWh/day (in season)
• Automatic milking + tank: 8-15 kWh/day
• Walk-in cooler 350 cu ft: 8-12 kWh/day
• Large barn lighting: 1-3 kWh/day

Strategy: separate the circuits

The most common farm mistake is one monster system. Better: split irrigation pumping (direct PV, no battery), main residence (standard residential), and barns (net-metering self-consumption). Each circuit is sized and pays back on its own.

Real case: 12-acre olive grove + house + 50 sheep

House 12 kWh/day → 4 kW PV + 10 kWh battery. Irrigation pump: 3 kW solar VFD + 8 × 450 W panels (direct). Barn lighting + electric waterers: 2 kW peak extra. Total: 25 panels, turnkey $20,000-30,000. Payback: 5-7 years before subsidies.

Agricultural-specific subsidies

Most governments have farm-specific programs: USDA REAP grants in the US, EU CAP greening, regional programs. They can cover 30-60% of the investment. Check with your farm bureau or co-op before quoting.

If you need to dive into pumping, see solar panels for water pumps. For an off-grid residence, the complete off-grid system.