First Welsh Net Zero Milk – A New Energy Future for Welsh Dairy Farms
Water to Water partnered with First Milk to explore how Welsh dairy farms can decarbonise and improve resilience through farm-scale Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES) – integrated “microgrids” combining renewable generation, storage and (where appropriate) green hydrogen.
Phase 1 (WSRID): proving the opportunity exists on real farms
In the initial phase of the Whole System Research and Innovation for Decarbonisation (WSRID) programme, we assessed the SLES potential of three representative First Milk member farms – a small, medium, and large dairy producer. Across all three, we confirmed there is credible potential to:
- increase on-farm renewable generation and flexibility,
- reduce reliance on the rural grid,
- cut emissions across electricity, heat and (in some cases) farm transport,
- and develop investable next-step project pipelines.
Why Phase 2 became a webtool (Growing Mid Wales): scaling access and accelerating pipeline
Phase 1 demonstrated that the opportunity is real but also highlighted a practical barrier: early-stage feasibility can be time-consuming and expensive to deliver one farm at a time. To scale impact quickly, Phase 2 (funded by Growing Mid Wales) focuses on turning that learning into a free, easy-to-use online SLES microgrid tool, developed with OnGen.
The webtool helps farmers (and stakeholders supporting them) run an early-stage assessment of a range of technology options – including solar, wind, batteries, heat pumps and green hydrogen – and understand how a site-appropriate microgrid could meet a substantial proportion of electricity, heat and farm transport-fuel demand. It is designed to:
- provide a consistent, credible “first pass” feasibility check,
- prioritise the most suitable pathways for each farm,
- and convert interest into well-scoped projects that can progress into full feasibility, design and delivery.
By reducing reliance on rural grid infrastructure and supporting farm-level decarbonisation, the project is creating a practical, public-facing entry point to help Welsh dairy farms move toward energy independence and net-zero.
