The SolarPower Europe Agrisolar Best Practices Guidelines Version 1.0 is a comprehensive document aimed at fostering collaboration between the solar and agricultural sectors to promote sustainable agrisolar practices. Agrisolar integrates solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with agricultural activities, creating synergies that address land-use competition, enhance sustainable rural development, and support the European Union’s (EU) climate neutrality goals by 2050. Launched in April 2020 amidst the European Green Deal, this initiative aligns with the EU’s ambition to modernize the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and achieve a renewable energy share of at least 38% by 2030, with solar energy playing a pivotal role.
Agrisolar is defined as the integration of solar PV projects within agricultural settings, guided by a Sustainable Agriculture Concept (SAC) that outlines agronomical, environmental, and socio-economic objectives. This approach not only generates clean energy but also improves land-use efficiency, reduces water consumption, enhances crop yields, and supports biodiversity. The guidelines emphasize that agrisolar projects, including agrivoltaic (Agri-PV) systems, must optimize light management for both crops and PV cells, ensuring mutual benefits. The potential for agrisolar in the EU is significant, with the capacity to generate over 900 GW if deployed on just 1% of arable land, surpassing current EU PV capacity by six times.
The document outlines best practices for developing high-quality agrisolar projects, covering Agri-PV systems (Controlled Environment Agriculture and open-field applications) and PV installations on agricultural buildings. Key considerations include adapting structure height, panel tilt, and row spacing to specific agricultural activities, ensuring electrical safety, managing water and soil quality, and using removable foundations to preserve agricultural land. Dynamic Agri-PV systems, which adjust panel orientation or light transmission, offer additional flexibility to optimize crop growth and energy production, though they involve higher complexity and costs.
Operation and maintenance (O&M) of Agri-PV systems require adherence to electrotechnical regulations, regular cleaning to prevent contamination, and effective pasture management to avoid fire hazards. For PV on agricultural buildings, designs must meet farmers’ needs, comply with construction standards, and ensure proper ventilation for animal welfare. Case studies, such as solar hangars for cattle farming in France and biodiversity-focused solar farms in Germany, illustrate successful implementations that reduce plastic use, enhance worker conditions, and support local ecosystems.
Innovations in agrisolar include dynamic technologies, semi-transparent PV modules, and vertical bifacial panels, which enhance light management and crop compatibility. For instance, projects in France and Spain demonstrate the use of organic PV films and dynamic light transmission systems to improve crop yields and energy efficiency. These advancements are still in early stages, requiring further research to generalize agronomic benefits across different crops and climates.
The guidelines advocate for increased collaboration between agricultural, energy, and environmental sectors to develop harmonized EU standards for agrisolar. Policy recommendations include removing regulatory barriers, ensuring CAP subsidies for agrisolar projects, and providing financial incentives like grants and feed-in tariffs. The document underscores the importance of public and private R&D to advance agrisolar technologies and business models, positioning agrisolar as a key strategy to achieve sustainable agriculture and clean energy goals.
By following these best practices, agrisolar projects can deliver significant environmental, economic, and social benefits, contributing to the EU’s Green Deal objectives. Future editions of the guidelines will refine recommendations to further enhance the sustainability and scalability of agrisolar, ensuring it remains a cornerstone of the EU’s energy and agricultural transitions.