Agri-PV at Fraunhofer ISE

Content-Related Questions & FAQ

The topic of agrivoltaics is complex and multifaceted. We at Fraunhofer ISE are aware of this, which is why we would like to offer you the opportunity to ask your specific questions. Our experts will be pleased to help you.

On this page we have also provided links to our information services, where you can find comprehensive information about agrivoltaics. Through our experience and regular exchange with various people, we have also been able to identify frequently asked questions. You can find these and their answers in our FAQ.

Questions to the Group Agrivoltaics at Fraunhofer ISE

Your Questions - Our Answers

We at Fraunhofer ISE are happy to answer your questions in the following areas:

Technical details: Find out more about the specific technical aspects of agrivoltaic systems.

Research collaborations: Find out about opportunities to collaborate with our research team.

In-depth information: Ask questions that go beyond the basic information and get in-depth information.

Please note the following

Many questions that seem simple may require complex research and are not directly applicable to every project.

Requests that go beyond the scope of the guide may fall within the scope of research assignments.

Before the Request

We are committed to providing you with a wide range of information about agrivoltaics. Our agrivoltaic guide provides you with a comprehensive overview of the topic.

Would you like to gain a deeper insight into individual topics and current projects? The Agrivoltaic Lecture Series expands your knowledge with specific topics and discussions by experts.

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Detailed Information on Agrivoltaics

Agrivoltaic is a dynamic research field. The latest analyses, results of research projects and inspiring success stories are published regularly. To give you a quick overview, we keep you up to date via our Media and News page.

You can also get an overview of our current research projects and thus of specific areas of application.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions that have arisen from our guide and the lecture series.

The principle is that the agrivoltaic system should be adapted to the existing cultivation (crops and dimensions of the machinery) of an area and not vice versa. It must be considered on a case-by-case basis which adaptations from the agricultural side (e. g. choice of variety) would nevertheless be advantageous. However, the previous agricultural use of an area is continued.

What are the adverse effects?

  • The loss of land for agricultural use is a maximum of ten percent for high-mounted systems and a maximum of 15 percent for ground-level systems (DIN SPEC 91434).
  • As the solar modules intercept part of the solar radiation and precipitation, the air circulation and the light and water conditions for the plants change, for example. These factors influence the choice of variety.
  • Maneuvering the agricultural machinery between the pillars takes some getting used to at first. Therefore pillars can be provided with ram protection, which is often essential in arable farming.
  • However, the agrivoltaic system should not interfere with machine cultivation, which is why system developers or project planners need to be aware that the system design must be adapted to the machines. If there is a high density of solar modules, it still needs to be investigated whether the GPS control is influenced by machines.

The increased benefits (crop yields and resilience) are particularly high for special crops such as fruit, vegetable and wine cultivation, as these crops are severely affected by hail, frost and drought and are better protected from such weather damage by partial roofing with solar modules. Examples can be found in the »Agri-PV Baden-Württemberg model region« project. Synergy effects are more pronounced with special crops, which is why the benefits are particularly high.

Shade-tolerant crops, such as leafy or fruiting vegetables, or field forage species (e. g. clover grass) are also very suitable.

Arable crops under agrivoltaics are particularly suitable in dry areas. In Heggelbach near Lake Constance, good results were achieved in hot years with winter wheat, barley, rye, triticale, potatoes, celery and clover grass; in years with high precipitation, yield losses were up to 20 percent.

In principle, there are few funding opportunities for practice facilities. However, the following support is available, provided that all the relevant requirements are met:

  • The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) provides funding for qualified advice on the conceptual design of new energy generation systems. In addition to advice, an entire agrivoltaic system is rarely funded, as very specific conditions of a directive must be fulfilled. Further information can be found on the BMEL website.
  • The feed-in tariff for electricity from agrivoltaic systems with a clear height of at least 2.10 meters is subsidized with a technology bonus per kilowatt hour in accordance with the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG 2023). The amount of the bonus will decrease from 1.2 ct/kWh to 0.5 ct/kWh from 2023 to 2028 (see Section 38 b (1) in conjunction with Section 48 (1) no. 5 EEG 2023).
  • In North Rhine-Westphalia, there is an investment subsidy of 25 percent for agrivoltaic systems via the funding instrument.
  • The GAP direct payments will continue to be paid out for 85 percent of an area with an agrivoltaic system if it is still possible to cultivate the area using the usual methods for the respective agricultural sector and a maximum of 15 percent of the area is lost due to the agrivoltaic system (see question 20 and Section 12 GAPDZV of 24.01.2022).
  • Some banks offer favorable credit conditions for agrivoltaics projects.

There are, of course, several options to obtain a building permit. The focus is on a privileged status in accordance with §35 BauGB or an urban land-use planning procedure. More details on this in our guide.

Yes, there are already examples of young cattle, sheep and chickens under agrivoltaics in Germany.

The current DIN SPEC 91434 on agrivoltaics mentions animal husbandry in the form of pasture use in categories 1D and 2D, but without specific requirements.

A new standard, DIN SPEC 91492, is currently being developed by the German Institute for Standardization (DIN e.V.). It is intended to provide requirements for livestock farming under agrivoltaics, as well as a differentiation from ground-mounted PV systems. Sheep are currently a common sight under ground-mounted PV systems, but the focus is usually on energy generation and the agricultural added value per area is low compared to agrivoltaics.

Synergies are understood to be the interaction of two effects that influence each other in a mutually beneficial way, resulting in greater benefits. The following synergies can be observed in the context of agrivoltaics:

  • Microclimate for plants and PV modules:
    → Plants are potentially better protected from weather influences such as excessive solar radiation, hail and frost under the PV modules. The soil temperature remains lower on hot days and evaporation is reduced.
    → Increased efficiency of the PV modules can be expected (the evaporative cooling of the plants can improve the efficiency of electricity production).
  • (Cost) savings on irrigation (up to 20 percent) and the use of pesticides
  • Biodiversity measures can be well integrated (e. g. nesting boxes on the substructure or flower strips in the non-traveled area between posts)
  • Protective films or nets (e. g. in fruit growing) can be easily attached to the substructure
  • Optimized light availability for plants, e.g. with tracking systems
  • Dual land use for renewable energies and agriculture also defuses conflicts over land use

Agrivoltaics also offers further advantages:

  • Decentralized power generation for self-consumption, cheaper than grid power
  • Increased added value for the (rural) region
  • LCOE (4-11ct/kWh depending on system size) lower than for small PV roof systems

Optimized water and light management (e. g. by tracking modules, i. e. moving them on one or two axes) can further enhance synergy effects. A simulation of light availability is therefore highly recommended in advance in order to be able to adapt the system design to the plant requirements.

Extended utilization concept:

  • Irrigation (e. g. rainwater collection)
  • Hail protection nets in fruit growing
  • Serving the energy consumption of downstream production with solar power (e. g. cold storage)
  • Other farm-specific concepts in combination with the agrivoltaic system are applicable (e. g. agricultural machinery as intermediate electricity storage)
  • Can be combined with precision farming and automatic guidance systems (although a possible influence of high solar module occupancy density on the GPS control of machines still needs to be investigated).

Since the beginning of 2023, the German government has been promoting the construction of solar power systems on moorland in Germany that was previously drained for agriculture as part of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), provided it is permanently rewetted (moorland PV). Only drained and heavily degraded areas are eligible for this. Moors and moorland soils of nature conservation value within legally protected areas are excluded. Agricultural use of the area with so-called »paludicultures« or livestock is possible. There is still a great need for research in Germany and internationally. Hardly any projects have been implemented to date.

Agrivoltaics offers several advantages to farmer:

  • Protecting the harvest from extreme weather, such as heat, heavy rain and hail, which will occur more frequently as a result of climate change.
  • Additional source of income as an economic mainstay
  • Using the electricity produced for your own needs increases (financial) independence from grid power
  • Makes it easier to close internal company cycles

Ask us your Question

Do you have a specific question that has not yet been answered here? As part of the »APV-Obstbau« project, we have compiled further project-specific questions and answers in a field report.

Use our contact form to send us your query. We will endeavor to respond promptly and accurately.