Adopting solar technology on farms is key to meeting climate targets and reducing costs for farmers.
That’s according to local TD Jackie Cahill, who is speaking in response to the publication of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food, and the Marine’s report.
Deputy Cahill, who is Chairperson of the Committee, is confident Ireland will meet its renewable energy targets by 2030 if the recommendations are taken on board.
The Tipperary TD says some of the incentives for farmers to adopt solar technology have obstacles that need to be addressed.
“If a farmer gets a TAMS grant for putting on solar panels, he cannot then sell the electricity to the grid. This will be a major obstacle in incentivising farmers to put solar panels on their buildings, and this needs to be addressed. There’s also a taxation issue with regards to capital gains tax and inheritance tax if there’s more than 50% of farmers land covered with solar panels. Again, this is an issue that needs to be addressed if farmers are to feel comfortable with putting solar panels on their land.”
He also says the sector has untapped potential which can be taken advantage of.
“The potential in the sector is enormous, and it can go a long way on our battle in producing renewable electricity in this country. There have been improvements in the recent past; there’s now a TAMS grant for farmers who put solar panels on their roofs, and the planning situation has been sorted, but there are still a number of problems to be overcome, and the report goes into this in detail. In general, this report is confident that the agricultural industry will embrace solar panels, which will go a long way in helping the country reach its 80% target of renewable energy by 2030.”
The full Solar Energy and the Agricultural Industry report published by the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, can be read here
