Agriculture

The solar transition opens up new opportunities for farmers, helping cut energy costs and strengthen ties with local communities. Here you’ll find insights on solar power in crop production, animal farming, ecotourism and more. 

The facilities allow farming activities to continue alongside solar generation
© Velka Botička

Italy approves VSB plans for new agri‑PV projects

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The approvals clear the way for renewable energy developer VSB to roll out two agri‑PV installations in central Italy, designed for both energy production and farming.
Photovoltaics will be one of the central themes at EnergyDecentral 2026
© DLG

EnergyDecentral 2026 – registration now open for exhibitors

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DLG has opened exhibitor registration for EnergyDecentral 2026, launching the process a year in advance of the international trade fair.
Kostal inverters ensure efficient grid connection of tracker-based solar output
© Kostal Solar Electric

Agri-PV in Luxembourg merges energy and agriculture

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In a dual-use installation, Piko CI 100 inverters from Kostal are providing reliable conversion of solar power – while farmland stays productive.
The cattle shed roof had room for more solar modules, but there was nowhere to put the extra power.
© Tesvolt

How to power a cow shed with no grid connection

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A wine grower and farmer built a solar-powered well to supply water for his remote cattle shed. With no grid connection, off-grid solar was the clear solution.
The height of agri-PV systems shapes soil and air temperature beneath.
© Velka Botička

Agri-PV – module height determines microclimate for crops

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Air and soil temperatures beneath agri-PV systems vary with module height, a recent study has found.
The special edition covers the latest developments in agricultural PV.
© Wien Energie / Raphael Faschang

Explore agri-PV in our new dual harvest special

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This special edition explores how farmers can use land more efficiently by combining agriculture with solar energy. It also covers technology, insurance and the shift to e-mobility in farming.
New horizons – Claritas is developing a 550 MWp solar PV portfolio in Arad County, Romania.
© CLARITAS

Claritas secures CfDs in Romania and advances battery storage in Poland

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With 169 MWp of Romanian solar and a 9 MWh Polish storage project, Claritas is strengthening its role as an independent player in Central and Eastern Europe’s clean energy transition.
The new podcast deals with the complexity of projects in agri-PV.
© Wien Energie/Faschang/BayWa r.e./privat

Solar Investors Guide #8: Agri-PV for farmers and investors

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Podcast (German): Valuable agricultural land can serve two purposes: as pasture or arable land and for generating clean solar power. Stephan Schindele, head of the agri-PV business unit at BayWa r.e., explains the advantages these systems offer farmers – and where the pitfalls lie.
Find out which technologies and business models are possible for the construction of solar systems on arable land in the new special.
© Timo Jaworr/Baywa AG
Download the free special issue

Dual land use – read our agri-PV special issue

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Free to download: our latest special on decentralised solar power and dual land use in agriculture.
As the panels produce electricity, wide gaps between module rows accommodate large machinery.
© NextEnergy Capital

NextPower V ESG makes largest agri-PV acquisition in Italy

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The fund has acquired a 73 MW agri‑PV project in Campania, backed by a 20‑year CfD. The majority of land use will be dedicated to agriculture.
The tracking system allows nearly all of area to remain in agricultural use.
© Gridparity

Yields surpass reference area in first season of agri-PV trial

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A tracking-based Agri-PV system on arable land in western Germany has delivered higher crop yields in its first season compared with a reference plot without solar modules.
PV projects benefit from falling prices in Romania’s second CfD auction.
© Manfred Gorgus

Solar dominates Romania’s second CfD auction

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A total of 2.7 GW was allocated as solar bids dropped to €35/MWh. VLP supported seven winners in a round that underscored strong investor appetite.
A new market is gaining momentum in Central and Eastern Europe.
© © manfred gorgus/SOLAR-professionell

From niche to necessity – the PV-boom in Central and Eastern Europe

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Photovoltaics have transitioned from a niche technology to a crucial energy source in Central and Eastern Europe. Against a varying political and economic backdrop, rising energy prices, geopolitical risks and decarbonisation are all serving to drive interest.
From empty field to intersecting futures – solar arrays and ecosystems will soon share this space.
© Goldbeck Solar

Goldbeck combines biodiversity and clean energy in new UK solar project

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Barnsdale Solar Energy Park in Yorkshire will pair utility-scale solar generation with targeted measures to support local habitats and improve biodiversity across the 50-hectare site.
Not a drop wasted – Baywa r.e. has built a plant in Spain where the water is collected for later use on the fields.
© Baywa r.e.

Studies confirm water management benefits of agri-PV systems

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Solar installations can help preserve soil moisture and support the local water balance. Two studies back up these claims and show that farmers can actively manage water use with the right system design.
The renovated barn roofs at Thürengeti farm now carry solar panels, financed through lease payments.
© WI Energy

PV in agriculture – funding renovations with solar power

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Roof refurbishments weigh heavily on farm budgets, but photovoltaic systems or leasing models can turn agricultural buildings into assets that finance repairs while generating electricity and income.
For most farmers, reducing energy costs through self-consumption is the main motivation for installing a photovoltaic system.
© Kostal Solar Electric/Gentner

pv Europe special: Solar power by farmers and for farmers

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Our new feature on solar energy for farmers explores the latest trends in agri-PV and how farms are using the sun to boost self-sufficiency. The special edition is available to download free of charge.
Next2Sun now offers taller two-module systems for wider row spacing.
© Next2Sun

Marius Sinn of Next2Sun: “We’re getting additional yields of up to ten percent”

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Vertical solar modules boost farmland yields and land use. Marius Sinn of Next2Sun outlines the benefits and installation.
Picking the best approach – beyond generating power, agri-PV is about benefits for agriculture and animals.
© SunAgri

SPE urges Brussels to accelerate agri-PV rollout

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The European Solar Energy Association has put forward proposals to speed up the expansion of agrivoltaics across Europe. The recommendations were outlined at the Agrivoltaics World Conference in Freiburg.
The study’s authors report that numerous species living in the solar parks had earlier been driven from the area by farming activity.
© Peschel

Study links solar parks with richer rural ecosystems

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A new study has found that biodiversity increases significantly on farmland converted to solar parks, though the pace and extent of improvement depend on local conditions.
Heads down  – Agri-PV is expected to play a key role in the transition to regenerative agriculture.
© Baywa r.e.

How Agri-PV supports regenerative and sustainable agriculture

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Analysts from the Boston Consulting Group and BayWa r.e. have conducted a study examining the additional revenue potential of combining agriculture with photovoltaics. The study also analyses specific cash flows during the transition phase.
The installation spans 9,000 square metres with a capacity of around 1.5 MW
© Sud Renovables, G-ener Renovables

Sud Renovables commissions Balearic Islands’ largest floating solar plant

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Soltech’s Spanish subsidiary has completed a floating plant with 1.5 MW of capacity and covering an impressive 9,000 square metres, making it the largest of its kind in the Balearics.
The new solar installation combines agri-PV, wind power, agriculture and storage.
© Püspök/Alex Lang

Combining agri-PV with wind power and storage

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An Austrian developer and green energy plant operator has completed the first in a planned series of hybrid installations. Altogether, the initiative will deliver around 400 megawatts of solar capacity.
Horizontally-mounted solar modules – here at fruit and berry farm – are one of the most popular approaches in agri-PV.
© Gridparity

Harvesting the full potential of agri-PV

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Agricultural photovoltaics are gaining ground, but how exactly can farmers benefit from installing solar systems on arable land and grassland?
Shade on top, crops below – agrivoltaics in action
© Fraunhofer ISE

Agri-PV conference spotlights latest in agrivoltaics and land sharing

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The Agrivoltaics World Conference examined the yield gains farmers can expect when installing solar systems – a major theme at this year’s event.
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