Agriculture

In war-stricken Ukraine, more than 100 hospitals are waiting for urgently required modules, inverters and energy storage systems. In many cases, this support is a matter of life and death. Every euro and every kilowatt makes a difference.

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.

The use of drones for the cleaning of agricultural solar arrays is increasing, placing new demands on cleaning agents in terms of safety, compatibility and application control.

Agri-PV systems help farmers generate renewable energy, protect crops and maintain yields against climate pressures. This feature covers core technologies, planning strategies and top service providers.

Free to download: This special issue highlights the dual use of land as a key aspect of the solar energy transition in agriculture. Alongside the latest technological developments, it also covers the emerging business models for solar installations on farmland.

The Czech Ministry of the Environment is providing up to 30 percent funding for agri-PV systems of at least ten kilowatts, including battery storage, on eligible farmland until October 2027.

A pilot solar system from SPV Sonneburg is helping safeguard grapevines during early growth, with promising test results.

The agreement pairs Talesun’s global agrivoltaic project pipeline based on Alphatracker’s purpose-built trackers and structures, with installations customised to local crops and a total investment topping €700 million.

Podcast: Elevated solar modules and solar fences are helping farmers generate clean solar power on their pastures and arable land. Stephan Schindele, head of the agri-PV division at BayWa r.e., explains how agricultural transformation and the energy transition are interconnected, offering clear benefits for both farmers and investors. Several countries across Europe are already leading the way with large-scale agri-PV projects.

As farms confront grid constraints and fluctuating energy use, manufacturers are engineering smart inverters that provide reliability, flexibility, and secure power for even the most demanding agricultural applications.

Solar-Planit introduces powerful new planning features, while Kostal, Ecoflow and Trina Storage present updates in visualisation, smart metering and storage. These are our standout products of the week.

The deployment of next-generation battery systems highlights how construction sites are adapting to grid bottlenecks and emissions targets.

Raspberries and strawberries show distinct responses to agri-PV shading, underscoring the importance of customised system designs for optimal yields.

Developer Alight has secured a multi-million euro grant from the EU Innovation Fund for a 120 MW solar park with 45 MW of co-located battery storage in southeastern Finland.

With over 3,300 hours of sunshine each year, Murcia is driving a new wave of investment as the region accelerates solar deployment on farmland and water.

By combining a 30 kW solar array and a 2.5 MW biomass system, a flower producer in northern Croatia is now meeting over 70 percent of its electricity demand and heating all greenhouses sustainably.

A major agri-PV installation near Vizzini, Sicily, is progressing after Danish developer European Energy secured a contract for difference from the Italian government.

The Lidsø solar park marks Alight's first operational project in Denmark, with national railway company DSB secured as offtaker through a long-term PPA.

High demand is already evident for exhibitor places at EnergyDecentral 2026 as DLG begins taking applications.

Visitors to the world’s largest agricultural machinery trade fair left no doubt: independence from external power is now front of mind, driving momentum and raising the bar for renewable integration in modern farming.

The Les Mathiaux and La Forge agrivoltaic parks in Saint-Voir, Allier are European Energy’s first French ‘contracts for difference’ win, securing 15 MW of a 21.2 MW total, with designs anticipating France’s new agrivoltaic regulations.

The fusion of photovoltaics and agriculture is moving from niche to norm. Noam Shvartz, expert at Solaredge, explains an important consideration for farmers looking to incorporate agri-PV into their operations.

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.

With advances in standard PV equipment and proven mounting systems, agrivoltaics is moving beyond its experimental phase and entering mainstream deployment, explains Benjamin von Berg of Trinasolar.

Austrian research shows that crop varieties react differently to the shifting light patterns beneath sun-tracking agrivoltaics, pointing to the critical role of both crop choice and layout.