Agricultural Solar Calculator — Farm Solar ROI & USDA REAP Grant

Understanding your results

USDA REAP Grant (Rural Energy for America Program): Farm and agricultural business owners may qualify for grants covering up to 50% of solar system costs — significantly better than the 30% residential ITC. REAP grants are available for farms with gross revenue under $1 million. Applications open twice yearly. Combined with the federal ITC, total incentives can exceed 60% of system cost.

Agricultural electricity use: Farms are typically among the highest electricity users in rural America — irrigation pumps, grain dryers, refrigeration, lighting and equipment can generate bills of $2,000–$20,000+ per month. Solar payback periods of 3–6 years are common for farms in sun-rich states.

Net metering for farms: Agricultural customers in most states can participate in net metering, earning bill credits for excess solar production exported to the grid during daylight hours. Many utility companies have specific agricultural net metering tariffs.

Ground mount vs rooftop: Most farm solar installations are ground-mounted rather than roof-mounted, allowing larger system sizes optimised for orientation and tilt. Ground mounts also enable dual-use “agrivoltaics” — growing crops beneath solar panels — which has been shown to reduce water usage and improve some crop yields in hot climates.