Harvest and electricity from the field: With agri-photovoltaics, food and solar electricity can be produced on agricultural land at the same time. An amendment to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG 2023) now allows such systems to be subsidised. However, smaller, elevated agro-solar systems below one megawatt in particular are not taken into account, which inhibits private expansion by individual farms. In addition, the approval process is still too complex, criticize researchers.
They produce solar power and protect cultivated plants from increasing extreme weather: With solar modules next to or above cultivated plants, agricultural land can be used twice. The technology is called agri-photovoltaics. Highly elevated systems are considered to be particularly useful and worthwhile. In these, the solar modules are mounted on metal frames so high that tractors and other agricultural equipment can drive under them unhindered. Because the modules also let some of the light through, the plants underneath get enough light, but at the same time are protected from excessive solar radiation. “The crops benefit from the protection provided by the solar modules,” explains Andreas Schweiger from the University of Hohenheim.
In order to advance the energy transition, more such agri-photovoltaic systems are to be installed in the future. “These systems can make a significant contribution to the energy transition,” says Schweiger. The catch, however, is that the elevated systems are more expensive than ground-level models, primarily because of the rise in steel prices. The comparatively high costs stand in the way of a breakthrough of the particularly useful, high-elevation systems. “They urgently need the prospect of appropriate funding for this,” says Schweiger.
Funding yes, but only for big ones
An amendment to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG 2023) this year created the first framework conditions for the expansion of agricultural photovoltaics. In the future, it will be possible to receive financial support for electricity from PV systems on agricultural land, provided that the agricultural use of the area is not significantly restricted by the system. For high-mounted agricultural solar systems, the amendment also provides for an additional premium under certain conditions – with an output of more than one megawatt, for citizen solar systems from six megawatts – which is intended to compensate for the additional costs for the more complex substructure.
However, the scientists of the Agri-Photovoltaics Accompanying Research Working Group do not consider this to be sufficient. In their view, there is great potential for expansion in smaller systems installed by individual farmers. “However, it seems much more likely that local farms will be able to afford the necessary investments for small systems in the range of a few 100 kilowatts rather than for large systems of one megawatt and more,” the researchers say. In your opinion, the support that has now been decided is therefore not sufficient. “By promoting even smaller Agri-PV systems, local acceptance can be increased and the hurdles for getting started with Agri-PV can be lowered,” they state in their position paper.
Too complicated approval procedures
Another hurdle that Schweiger and his colleagues see is the time-consuming and complicated approval process. Because unlike all other renewable energies, Agri-PV systems are not considered privileged construction projects. This means: A development plan by the local municipality is necessary. The land use plan often has to be changed first. These processes take a lot of time and delay the expansion of the plants. The scientists are therefore calling for Agri-PV systems in agricultural or horticultural operations to also be classified as privileged in the future. This would make approvals easier and faster.
Source: University of Hohenheim; Position paper on agriphotovoltaics (PDF)