The dual use of arable land for agriculture and solar energy production has a bright future in France. While regulation is necessary to ensure the sustainability of agriculture, it raises several questions in terms of administrative conditions, technological approaches, but also the profitability and sustainability of agrivoltaic installations.
Agrivoltaics is shaping a new regulatory landscape in France
According to France Agrivoltaïsme, France could have between 20.000 and 30.000 farms equipped with agrivoltaic installations by 2050[1], for a total installed power of between 60 and 80 GW. To ensure that agricultural productivity is not compromised, the APER law of March 2023 regulated this activity, officially integrating agrivoltaics into the national renewable energy strategy. This regulation, supplemented by the publication of a more operational decree[2], ensures that the balance between agricultural production and solar energy is maintained.
Guarantee a minimum agricultural productivity of 90%
The decree requires that agricultural yields from agrivoltaic plots remain at least 90% equivalent to control plots without solar panels. The principle is to ensure that the installation has little impact on agricultural yields despite its natural shading. Thanks to specific arrangements and solar trackers (mobile and automated) adjusting the inclination of the panels, the impact of shading is minimized. Studies show that 30% shading generally does not affect crop yields[3].
Compliance with the law on agricultural yield should not, however, hamper the profitability of the solar installation. MLPE (or Module Level Power Electronics) technology, unlike traditional inverters, improves the profitability of an agrivoltaic infrastructure because each panel operates optimally and separately even if some are shaded. This is particularly important on farms, where dust accumulation can reduce the efficiency of the panels. MLPE mitigates these inconveniences caused by dust accumulation, which, according to a study by the German institute specializing in applied science research, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, can reduce energy production by up to 30%[4].
Data collection to be compliant
To approve agrivoltaic projects, French regulations require data collection and analysis that includes assessment of technical and economic risks and demonstration of the project’s benefits to farmers throughout the lifecycle of the installation. Accurate data monitoring is essential to prove that efficiency is maintained at 90%, and to demonstrate dual-use benefits such as reduced water requirements and protection of crops or livestock from harsher weather conditions, as demonstrated by a Minnesota cattle farm[5] that reported improved cow health and reduced body temperatures during the summer thanks to solar panels installed above pastures.
Data monitoring and analysis systems help operators assess the impact of solar radiation sharing between crops and panels, which helps to arrive at economic estimates (including break-even points) and facilitate loan applications.
Safety of agrivoltaic installations
In agrivoltaics, risk management is crucial. Shared land use has its own particularities: farmers work close to the installations with agricultural machinery and irrigation systems; and animals can damage the cables. The increased risk of electric arcs requires technology capable of detecting any increase in temperature at the connectors; which, if necessary, secures the installation by automatically reducing the voltage. Regulations also require that agrivoltaic installations be high enough to allow the safe movement of people, machines or animals. To go a step further, digital monitoring and its responsiveness become key because this type of device detects failures and, in some cases, can resolve incidents remotely. In the long term, these monitoring technologies, which are set to become more widespread, will have the dual purpose of protecting the farm while allowing the possibility of managing agricultural and solar production. An asset for changing mentalities regarding technology.
The future of agrivoltaics
In the short term, the development of agrivoltaics should be carried out on small-scale installations, which will require tests to identify the best practices for agricultural and solar production. This trend will be due in particular to the fact that the future electricity purchase tariff would be capped at 1 MW, making small plots more attractive to developers.
With such regulations, France is among the most demanding countries in the field, aligning energy, sustainable and agricultural criteria. Agrivoltaics is experiencing a new stage because the question, too often widespread, which consisted of knowing if energy production and agricultural exploitation were complementary, is no longer relevant. Today, thanks to technology, compliance with regulations, and of course, quality installations, we understand that the agrivoltaic installation is becoming a management and decision-making tool for all agricultural activities.
[1] https://www.senat.fr/rap/l22-013/l22-013_mono.html
[2] https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000049386027
[3] https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202402.0741/v1
[5] https://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/research/dairy/agrivoltaics
Column by Noam Shvartz, Agrivoltaic Program Manager at SolarEdge Technologies (LinkedIn).
