2024-04-09 18:05:17
Agrivoltaism refers to a practice consisting of combining agricultural production (market gardening, livestock farming, vines, etc.) on the same site and, secondarily, electricity production using photovoltaic solar panels.
The terms “agrivoltaic”, “agrophotovoltaic” or even “ solar sharing » in English are also used to designate this concept.
An agrivoltaic installation is an electricity production installation using radiative energy from the sun and whose modules are located on an agricultural plot where they contribute sustainably to the installation, maintenance or development of agricultural production.
Definition from the Law No. 2023-175 of March 10, 2023 relating to the acceleration of the production of renewable energies.
Regulations relating to agrivoltaism in France
In France, details have been provided on agrivoltaism in 2023 (much older concept(1)) in the law to accelerate the production of renewable energies.
A “service” to agricultural activity
In addition to the definition mentioned above, it is indicated that an electricity production installation installed on an agricultural plot must, to be considered “agrivoltaic”, provide one of the following services to agricultural activity:
- improvement of agronomic potential and impact;
- adaptation to climate change;
- protection against hazards;
- improvement of animal welfare.
It is specified that agricultural production must remain “ the main activity of the agricultural plot ».
What does the decree published in April 2024 say?
The decree governing the development of agrivoltaism was published on April 9, 2024 in the Official Journal after long negotiations between the various stakeholders, with the ambition of providing a more consensual framework for this practice, which is the subject of numerous attentions and concerns.
Consult Decree No. 2024-318 of April 8, 2024 relating to the development of agrivoltaics and the conditions for the installation of photovoltaic installations on agricultural, natural or forest land.
The decree provides, among other things, that the reduction in yield induced by the production of electricity from photovoltaic panels installed on an agricultural installation must be less than 10% compared to “ the average yield » observed on a control plot (assessment outside breeding).
To ensure that agricultural production is indeed the main activity in an agrivoltaic project, the surface area of the land covered with solar panels must not exceed 40%, “ except for projects which have already largely proven themselves ».
Another important point: income from agricultural production is considered “ sustainable when the average income from the sale of plant and animal production from the agricultural holding after the installation of the agrivoltaic installation is not lower than the average income from the sale of plant and animal production from the farm agricultural operation before the installation of the agrivoltaic installation ».
The different types of agrivoltaic projects
There are various types of agrivoltaic systems:
- structures made up of rows of solar panels close to the ground, with cultivable spaces between the rows to accommodate agricultural equipment;
- photovoltaic structures close to the ground, associated with livestock or aquaculture (with floating panels);
- elevated structures allowing access to agricultural machinery under photovoltaic power plants (the most expensive configuration, but also the most appropriate to limit the impact on agricultural production).
Note that agricultural greenhouses equipped with photovoltaic panels have, by extension, sometimes been qualified as agrovoltaic systems.
Benefits and Challenges
An agrivoltaic system is supposed to avoid land use conflicts, while allowing synergy between the two productions “agricultural and solar(2). Photovoltaic panels installed above cultivated land or land occupied by livestock (for example sheep or cattle) can, among other things, be tilted so as to provide optimal exposure to the sun and to protect against bad weather.(3).
An agrivoltaic installation must make it possible to provide additional, stable and “de-risked” remuneration to farmers.
However, the sharing of value between project leader, farmer and land owner must still be harmonized. Given the recent adoption of a framework for agrivoltaism and the variety of projects, available data on project profitability is currently limited.
Let us specify that an assessment of the effects of the April 2024 decree is planned in one year.
Development of agrivoltaism in France
In France, INRA, IRSTEA and the Sun’R company launched a research program called “Sun’Agri” in 2009, dedicated to agrivoltaics. Before the April 2024 decree, agrivoltaic projects appeared in CRE calls for tenders dedicated to “ innovative electricity production installations from solar energy »(4) with a growing number of actors(5) working on this type of systems.
The April 2024 decree should allow more precise monitoring of agrivoltaic projects, which must be distinguished from projects on abandoned land which can offer “non-agricultural” land to accelerate the development of photovoltaics.
As a reminder, France has set itself the objective of deploying 100 GW of photovoltaics by 2035, with agrivoltaic projects expected to contribute to this ambition (without a particular objective for these projects being defined).
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