Agri-PV refers to the dual use of agricultural land for food production combined with integrated solar energy generation.
Revenue from energy production supports local businesses. At least 90% of the land must remain dedicated to agriculture, as stipulated by DIN Spec 91434.
The energy and agricultural transitions as the challenges of our time: To combat climate change, renewable energy must be significantly expanded to ensure a sustainable energy supply. The expansion of photovoltaic systems must therefore be accelerated, which entails a massive demand for land. This is leading to increasing competition for land.
The multiple use of land for the simultaneous production of food and renewable energy in the form of agri-PV creates a “both-and” balance of interests here, as both are made possible on the same land.
At the same time, in a world facing the increasing impacts of climate change, innovative solutions are needed to secure agricultural production. In addition to agriculture and sustainable energy production, Agri-PV offers an additional benefit for agriculture: the protection of crops from extreme weather conditions.
The solar modules serve as a canopy and provide, for example, protection from intense sunlight, thereby reducing heat stress. At the same time, they create shade that protects against excessive evaporation and soil drying.
Furthermore, the dual use of land strengthens rural areas and creates valuable habitats for future generations.
Germany is home to a wide variety of agricultural production methods, ranging from traditional crop farming to vegetable cultivation, specialty crops, and horticulture. To match this diversity of production methods, there is also a wide range of technical agri-PV solutions:
