A solar electric gate opens and closes on its own power, with no cable back to the farm. A solar panel charges a battery, and a low-voltage motor opens the gate from a fob, keypad or your phone.

How it works

  1. Solar panel charges a battery.
  2. Battery stores enough power for many open-and-close cycles, so the gate keeps working on dull days.
  3. Low-voltage motor (usually 24V) moves the gate.
  4. Access by remote fob, keypad, phone call or app, or a sensor that opens it for vehicles.

Size it for your use, and for winter

  • How often it opens matters most. A yard gate used 50 times a day needs a bigger panel and battery than a field gate used twice.
  • Winter sun is weak. In Devon, a solar panel makes only about a quarter as much power in December as in June, so size for December.
  • Angle the panel steeply and keep it clear of shade from hedges and trees.

Safety: powered gates are machinery

Powered gates can trap and injure, so the law treats them as machinery.

  • New powered gates must meet the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008. The key standard is BS EN 12453 (current version 2017+A1:2021), but the HSE says meeting the standard alone isn’t enough: every gate needs its own risk assessment.
  • Safety features include limiting the closing force, safety edges that stop the gate on contact, photocells and speed control.
  • If you add a motor to an existing gate, whoever does it takes on the manufacturer’s legal duties, including the paperwork and conformity marking.
  • On a farm, a gate is part of a workplace, so it must be maintained and kept safe.

Always use a trained installer. The charity Gate Safe keeps a register of them.

Planning permission

Under permitted development rules, you can usually put up a gate up to 1 metre high next to a road used by vehicles, or up to 2 metres elsewhere, without planning permission. A new entrance onto a main road does need permission. Check with your council if you’re unsure.

Public footpaths and bridleways

You can’t put a locked or automated gate across a public right of way. Any new gate on a footpath or bridleway needs the council’s permission, is normally only allowed for controlling livestock, and must be safe and easy to use. If a right of way crosses your land, plan the gate somewhere else.

What we do

We design and install solar electric gates for farms across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, sized for how you use them and built with the safety features the law requires. Get a quote → · Farm and off-grid →

Sources

Correct at the time of writing (1 October 2026). This is general guidance, not legal advice.