Parley Court Farm is a working farm and equestrian centre in Dorset, and like many agricultural businesses, it carries a significant and largely unavoidable energy demand. From machinery and refrigeration to lighting and day-to-day operations, the site's electricity consumption was a consistent overhead with little flexibility built in. The farm's owners were looking for a practical, long-term solution that would reduce that exposure to grid prices without disrupting the operational side of the business.
ProStar Energy was appointed to design and install a rooftop solar PV system on the north barn, one of the farm's primary working structures. The finished installation was sized to match the site's energy profile, with the capacity and system specification determined by a thorough survey of the property carried out before any design work began. The results have been strong, and the full breakdown of savings, payback, and carbon offset figures is set out in the Key Results section below.
Project overview:
Capacity: 51 kWp
Cost: £34,342
First-Year Savings: £10,836
Estimated Payback: 3 years 1 month
Carbon Offset: 12 tonnes CO₂ annually
Annual ROI: 31.56%
Challenges and Solutions
Agricultural rooftops present a specific set of challenges that a standard commercial installation does not. The north barn at Parley Court Farm was no exception.
Roof orientation and shading assessment
A north-facing or partially shaded roof would typically raise questions about system viability. Before any design work began, our engineers carried out a detailed site survey to assess the roof's orientation, pitch, and exposure across different times of the year. The survey confirmed that, with the right panel specification and layout, the barn roof could support a system capable of delivering the projected output. That groundwork was essential: a system designed without it would have risked falling short of the performance figures the client needed to justify the investment.
Structural considerations
Barn structures are not always built to the same load tolerances as modern commercial buildings. As part of the survey process, the team assessed the roof's structural integrity to confirm it could carry the weight of the system safely and without modification. This kind of assessment protects the client from unexpected costs further down the line and ensures the installation is completed correctly from the outset.
Minimising disruption to farm operations
Agricultural businesses cannot simply pause while installation work takes place. The farm needed to remain operational throughout, which meant careful planning around access routes, equipment storage, and the sequencing of work on the roof. Our project management team coordinated the installation schedule to keep disruption to an absolute minimum, with clear milestones communicated to the client at every stage.
Grid connection and export
With a 60 kWp system, the grid connection process requires careful co-ordination with the relevant network operator. Our team managed that process on behalf of the client, handling the technical submissions and ensuring the system was correctly configured for both on-site consumption and any surplus export.
Key Results
The Parley Court Farm installation demonstrates what a well-specified system can deliver for an agricultural business with consistent energy demand. The 60 kWp system generates first-year savings of £12,620, equating to an annual return on investment of 31.56% and a full payback period of three years and ten months. Alongside the financial return, the system offsets an estimated 13 tonnes of CO₂ each year, a figure that compounds in value as the installation continues to perform well beyond the payback point.
These figures are based on a system designed specifically for this site. The survey and design process ensured the capacity was matched to the farm's actual consumption patterns rather than a generic estimate, which is what makes the projected savings a realistic outcome rather than a best-case figure. A total project cost of £50,000 was delivered on time and within budget, in line with ProStar Energy's full turn-key approach covering everything from planning and design through to installation and aftercare.
Conclusion
Parley Court Farm is a good example of what happens when the preparation behind a commercial solar installation is treated as seriously as the installation itself. The site survey identified the right approach for a barn roof that might otherwise have been ruled out, and the finished system is now delivering meaningful savings against a backdrop of energy costs that are unlikely to decrease over time.
If you operate a farm, estate, or rural commercial site and want to understand what solar could realistically deliver for your business, we offer free site surveys as a starting point for every project. There is no obligation, and the survey gives you the information you need to make a confident, informed decision.
To arrange a survey or speak with our team about your site, call us on 03316 302 225 or click the button below.
