Different criteria for a successful agrivoltaic project
To succeed in an agrivoltaic project, it is crucial to consider the technical, financial and contractual aspects, while ensuring good societal acceptability. The choice of the plot, based on the crop, agricultural practices and challenges related to global warming, also plays a major role in the success of the project.
Solar energy production represents an opportunity for farmers to diversify their income, while contributing to the energy transition. Here are some aspects to take into account in order to succeed in an agrivoltaic project on its farm.
Connect the agrivoltaic installation to the electrical network
The possibility of connection to the network and the distance are of course decisive in the choice of agricultural plots. They should ideally be located near a connection point to limit costs and remain profitable.
It is the developer, and in particular a solar energy expert, who will size the project in order to make production profitable. The area occupied by the installation will depend on the size of the plot.
Choosing a plot adapted to the agrivoltaic installation
To install an agrivoltaic structure, the topography of the plot is an essential criterion. It must be as flat as possible to be able to accommodate the project. If possible, a slight homogeneous south-facing slope will increase the efficiency of the solar panels.
In addition, the farmer chooses the plot according to the crops he produces and his farming practices. In fact, it is necessary to ensure that the installation of photovoltaic panels does not compromise agricultural activity.
Choosing the right agrivoltaics technology
Although the approach is still innovative, there is a range of agrivoltaic solutions on the market. For example, mobile solar panels are appreciated for their dynamic management, which creates rotating and partial shade favorable to crops or meadows. They adapt to agricultural needs, while offering better energy efficiency.
The developer will choose the most suitable technology, in consultation with the farmer who hosts the project. The crop and/or the type of livestock, the cultural practices as well as the challenges encountered by the farmer in the context of his activity, in particular the impact of climate change, will be decisive in this choice.
For example, Jean-François Cortot, a farmer, not being convinced by vertical solar panels, preferred the installation of a high-rise structure designed by TSE: The agricultural canopy. This solution seemed to him more suited to his farming practices and agricultural equipment. Indeed, to guarantee the maintenance of agricultural production, the configuration of the project must be adapted to the crops and guarantee the easy passage of tools.
To learn more about the different types of agrivoltaic installations, read our article.
Find out about contractual and financial terms
The choice of the contractual model
Various business models can be offered to you. In the case of an electricity sales project (to be distinguished from self-consumption projects), the investment is generally assumed entirely by the energy company. The project is offered to the farmer on a turnkey basis, with no installation costs.
Other developers offer farmers the opportunity to participate in the financing of the project, in the form of taking capital or as a loan.
An additional source of income
Some developers, like TSE, offer farmers an emphyteutic lease with rent, for 40 to 50 years. The contract includes a fixed annual remuneration calculated according to the installed capacity (MWc) at the time of commissioning. This remuneration is accompanied by a variable portion indexed to the turnover of the solar power plant, which may change according to the electricity purchase price.
At the heart of the issues related to the energy transition, agrivoltaics makes it possible to respond to several challenges: produce green energy, protect crops from climatic hazards and offer stable incomes to farmers. In the case of a lease, the remuneration is shared between the landowner and the farmer under a tripartite agreement with the developer. Indeed, a successful project involves the satisfaction of all three parties. This model requires, of course, the agreement of the owner to install agrivoltaic structures on his plots.
This additional source of income is part of a diversification logic that contributes to the security of the farm. Farmers can then experiment with innovations, invest to improve their farm or to facilitate the transfer or installation of a new partner or employee.
Farmers should therefore not hesitate to consult several developers. And above all, it is important to remember that under no circumstances should an agrivoltaic project harm rural lease or agricultural activity. In order to maintain France's food sovereignty, the April 2024 decree sets out a strict framework for maintaining and prioritizing agricultural production.
Promoting the local acceptability of agrivoltaic projects
Landscape integration and consultation with local residents are essential to guarantee the societal acceptability of the project. For example, for better territorial ownership, Jean-François Cortot and TSE integrated residents into the approach from the design stage: “The lack of local acceptance would have makes you give up, not without trying to understand why. But the returns are positive and we are confident in what we are doing. By being transparent on the approach, we answer all the questions of the inhabitants”, explains the farmer.
Note: installations with a footprint of less than 4 ha are often better received. In addition, these less restrictive projects, or those of less than 1 MW, require shorter processing times, ranging from 1 to 1.5 years because they only require a simplified environmental challenge report (if the issues identified do not require a complete assessment).
Conversely, larger projects involve ecological inventories over 4 seasons as well as a public survey, which adds at least 1 year of delay.
A project consistent with the territory
Agrivoltaics is not intended to develop everywhere. A good project must take into account local energy needs and benefit the agricultural plots selected for installation. Although, on the territory, many roofs and artificial areas are available or even already equipped with photovoltaic panels, agrivoltaics is not necessarily interesting.
In the context of renewable and therefore more sustainable energy, it is necessary to take into account the local energy mix and the needs of the territory: a coherent project can get local residents on board and facilitate implementation.
To go further
Discover in images the feedback from Jean-François Cortot, agricultural operator, on the TSE agrivoltaic demonstrator in Verdonnet.
