Llandovery, or Llanymddyfri, sits at the northern tip of Carmarthenshire where the Tywi Valley climbs up towards the Cambrian Mountains. The SA20 postcode covers the town, Myddfai, Cilycwm and the upland farming belt out to Rhandirmwyn. For solar PV the economy is dominated by agriculture, with a secondary layer of hospitality around the livestock market and the Heart of Wales Line. The yield profile is slightly below the coastal average but the barn-roof opportunity is substantial and the Farming Connect grant route often makes the capex palatable.
SA20 solar yield
PVGIS modelling for SA20 returns 915 to 945 kWh per kWp per annum for a well-oriented barn-roof array. The upland position loses a modest amount of yield compared to coastal SA, but annual production is still well within the economic band. Expect 45,000 to 47,000 kWh per year from a 50 kWp array.
Agricultural solar economics in Llandovery
For a typical Llandovery upland holding with bulk tank cooling, ventilation and yard lighting loads, we typically see:
- Self-consumption of 55 to 75 percent on a well-sized array, driven up by bulk tank and vacuum pump cycles during milking
- Payback of 6 to 8 years for a 50 kWp install at current Welsh rural electricity pricing and FIT-exit SEG tariffs
- Grid export at approximately 15p per kWh through a tiered SEG arrangement, though this is volatile and should not be the primary investment case
Farming Connect
Farming Connect is the Welsh Government’s farm advisory and grants scheme administered by Menter a Busnes. Under various calls, it funds parts of the cost of farm infrastructure upgrades including renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. The scheme is competitive and the call windows are short, but it materially improves the economics when timed right. Our approach is:
- Keep a live database of which Farming Connect calls are open or expected
- Design the system to satisfy call criteria (battery inclusion, monitoring, minimum self-consumption thresholds)
- Deliver the FLD quote and MCS paperwork to feed directly into the Farming Connect application
- Invoice phased to align with the grant claim timelines
Barn-roof engineering
Upland farm barns in SA20 are typically 15 to 25 metres span with galvanised purlins and fibre-cement or metal sheeting. The typical engineering considerations:
- Roof load assessment — fibre-cement roofs over 25 years old are often borderline for additional solar load and may need structural strengthening or partial re-roofing. This should be priced into the project from the start, not bolted on.
- Wind loading — upland SA20 sites experience EN 1991-1-4 wind pressures meaningfully higher than coastal sites. Mounting frame selection and ballast calculation need to account for this.
- Cable routing — long DC runs from roof to inverter are common on farm sites. DC cable sizing to keep volt drop below 3 percent, and conduit protection against rodents and livestock, is essential.
Carmarthenshire planning
Carmarthenshire County Council permits most rooftop PV on agricultural buildings under permitted development. The exception is listed farmhouses and properties within a scheduled monument footprint. For field-mounted arrays above 50 kW, full planning permission is required and the application will be assessed against Planning Policy Wales and TAN 8.
Grid connection
SA20 sits in NGED’s licence area. G99 Type A applications are consistent at 6 to 8 weeks. For upland farms the supply capacity is often the binding constraint; upgrading from 25 kVA single phase to a 100 kVA three-phase supply can add 8 to 14 weeks and material cost.
Starting the conversation
If you farm in SA20 and want an assessment that accounts for your bulk tank load profile, barn roof condition, and Farming Connect timing, call Paul direct on 01792 321123.