017 004 0001 Get a free quote
  1. Home
  2. Farm solar

Solar for farms and irrigation

Pumping, cooling and packing happen in daylight. That makes a farm one of the best places in the country for solar, as long as the system is sized to how you actually farm.

Get a free quoteWhatsApp us
  • Since 2013
  • 5 700+ panels installed
  • Certificate of Compliance
Solar for farms
2013Installing solar since
5 700+Solar panels installed
270+Solar water heating systems
4Offices: Ermelo, Pretoria, Nelspruit, Kimberley
Who it is for

Farm loads that line up with the sun

An array produces most between about nine and four. Most farm load lands in exactly that window:

  • Irrigation pumping

    Often already scheduled around tariff windows, which makes it easy to move onto generation.

  • Cold rooms and packhouses

    Compressors work hardest on the hottest, brightest days.

  • Dairies

    Milk cooling and vacuum pumps run through the day.

  • Poultry houses

    Ventilation load climbs with the temperature.

  • Workshops, silos and grading lines

    Daytime motor loads.

Farms also have what town sites lack: space. Where the roof runs out, a ground-mount array takes the roof question off the table.

A day on the roof

One clear day on a packhouse roof

Scroll to run the clock. Watch where the power comes from as the sun crosses a 160 kWp array with a 120 kWh battery.

Day done. Count what came off the roof.

Site load34kW
From the sun0kW
From the grid34kW
Battery10%
04080120160 00:0003:0006:0009:0012:0015:0018:0021:0000:00 kW Evening peak
  • Site load
  • From the sun
  • From the battery
  • From the grid
  • Solar available
Solar used today 902 kWhSaved today R2 357

Illustrative clear October day for a packhouse in Ermelo using about 1 800 kWh a day, valued at an average R2,50 per kWh. Your own numbers come from your own accounts.

01

Winter on the highveld is not a weak season

On an Ermelo site, every kWp of panels tilted at 26° and facing north makes roughly 130 to 157 kWh a month, about 1 700 kWh a year. July to September are among the strongest months, because the winter sky is clear and the tilt catches the lower sun.

That changes if panels lie flat or face east and west, and it matters most when your heaviest pumping is in winter. Ask any installer which month they sized the system against. If the answer is "the annual average", nobody has checked.

Source: PVGIS 5.3, European Commission JRC, 14% system losses.

02

If you pump on diesel

Diesel is the most expensive electricity on most farms. At August 2026 wholesale prices a generator lands at roughly R8 to R9 per kWh once fuel and servicing are counted. Solar works out well under R1 per kWh over the life of the system.

Every daytime pumping hour moved off the generator and onto the array saves around R7 to R8 per kWh. On a borehole running several hours a day through a dry season, that is the business case on its own. The full arithmetic is in solar vs a diesel generator.

03

Funding and the tax position

  • ADSFinance. Our in-house funding programme, so the capital cost is not what stops a good project.
  • Section 12B. A farming business can deduct 100% of the cost of a system under 1 MW in year one. SARS requires a valid Certificate of Compliance. Confirm the treatment with your accountant.
  • Both priced together. The monthly saving next to the monthly instalment, before you decide.
How it works

From one bill to a running system

No guessed numbers. The price comes after somebody has stood on your roof.

  1. 01

    Send a bill

    Answer three questions here, or WhatsApp a photo of a recent electricity account. That one page tells us more than a site photo ever will.

  2. 02

    Site visit and energy audit

    We check the roof or ground, the distribution board, cable routes, shading and what must stay on when the supply drops.

  3. 03

    Proposal, cash and finance priced

    System size, expected generation and payback, with a cash price and an ADSFinance option side by side.

  4. 04

    Install and Certificate of Compliance

    Installed, tested and commissioned by our team, then handed over with a Certificate of Compliance.

  5. 05

    Monitoring and annual service

    Remote monitoring from day one and a maintenance visit every year, so a fault does not hide for months.

FAQ

Farm solar: common questions

Something else? WhatsApp 072 326 0268 or call 017 004 0001.

Can solar run an irrigation pump directly?

Yes, and it is one of the best matches there is, because pumping is a daytime load. The system is sized against your pump rating, your daily running hours and the season you irrigate in.

Roof mount or ground mount on a farm?

Ground mount is common on farms because the space exists and it removes any question about roof condition. Roof mount makes sense on packhouses and sheds that already carry a suitable structure.

Will solar cover my winter pumping?

On the highveld a north-facing array tilted at about 26° produces as much in winter as in summer, often more. Flat or east-west arrays lose more in winter, so the tilt and orientation are decided against your pumping calendar.

Do you work outside Mpumalanga?

Yes. We have offices in Ermelo, Pretoria, Nelspruit and Kimberley and install across South Africa.

Free, no obligation

Get a free quote for farm solar

It opens as a WhatsApp message to Mari Louise with a reference number, so the first call is about your site instead of the basics.

Rather talk? Call the office on 017 004 0001 or WhatsApp 072 326 0268.

Step 1 of 3About a minute
What do you need?
Pick everything that applies
Where is it going?

Nothing is stored on this website. Your request goes straight to Mari Louise on WhatsApp, and you can attach a photo of your bill in the same chat.

Also from AdSolarTech
Commercial solarRooftop and ground-mount PV for plants, packhouses, cold storage, retail and offices, sized from twelve months of accounts.Home solarHybrid inverter, lithium battery and panels, so the lights, Wi-Fi and fridge stay on and the account comes down.Backup powerLithium storage, UPS and generator changeover, sized to what must stay on and for how long.Solar hot waterSolar water heating, heat pumps and centralised hot water for homes, guesthouses, hotels, hospitals and plants.

Put your daytime pumping on the sun

Send a recent bill and your irrigation schedule, and we will size the system against both.

Get my free quoteWhatsApp Mari Louise017 004 0001
Chat to us