Welcome to the South West

Welcome to the SW NFU Renewables Gateway 

It is the NFU's aspiration that every farmer and grower should have the opportunity to become a net exporter of low-carbon energy using a variety of renewable energy technologies. 

However, farmers have been utilising natural resources for years. Producers and processors have a long history of using solar energy for growing and drying of crops – the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels is just the latest incarnation. Farmers in the upland parts of the SW region also make use of the local geography, where water and wind mills have been generating renewable electricity for decades. 

Briefings 

Briefings produce by the regional environment team on renewable energy sources can be found on the right.  

SW Case Studies 

The South West NFU has collated a number of case studies which aim to provide practical and business guidance on renewable energy production, to give an idea of what costs are involved and what returns to expect, any unexpected challenges and benefits and to highlight any potential pitfalls to watch out for. 

The case studies incorporate farmers which are utilising all the renewable technologies, are involved in all the farming sectors and covers a large geographic area. 

The individual case studies can be viewed using the links below. 

These case studies were produced Autumn 2010 and reflect information given by the participants. The NFU does not endorse or support these figures as they are there for guidance and reflect a certain time and a local situation. Figures will vary depending when and where you are. 

Try our Renewable Energy Guidance Tool

The NFU in the South West has produced an a Renewable Energy Guidance Tool after members asked for a quick and easy way to gauge how much a particular renewable energy technology might cost to install and what the returns might be.

The tool should be the first step in looking at what you might want to do in terms of developing renewable energy on farm. It is essential that this tool is used for guidance only and that you take additional professional guidance.

For more information click here.