The new Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS), under TAMS III, is now open for applications.

Under the scheme, farmers can secure a 60% grant towards the cost of solar PV panels and batteries under a separate investment ceiling.

However, as solar panels are a fixed investment, farmers will have to prepare a robust application to apply for the grant, which some in the industry believe will be a deterrent to farmers.

Both a farm layout plan, which details all the existing and proposed buildings, and a farm structure layout plan, which shows the investment structure and building, as well as maps and details of ownership, must be prepared.

In addition, farmers will have to submit an on-farm solar PV survey to prove that the size of panels being grant-aided matches the farm’s electricity demand. This will limit the amount of excess electricity which can be sold to the grid.

Marking criteria

The marking criteria for the scheme has also been called into question.

Applications are awarded points based on a number of factors, with higher scores increasing the likelihood of receiving grant aid. However, applicants who are over 41 years old, farm more than 63 acres, are not in an area of natural constraint, or whose nitrates production prior to export is below 170kg N/ha, may receive lower scores or no points at all.

Critics of the marking scheme argue that these factors should be irrelevant to a farmer’s eligibility for solar panel grants.