Agrophotovoltaics: Innovative Combination of Solar Energy and Agriculture in Poland

Agrivoltaics is an exciting fusion of two key sectors: agriculture and renewable energy. Imagine using a single piece of land to both grow crops and produce electricity. Sounds futuristic? It’s already happening! As environmental pressures rise and the need for efficient farming intensifies, agrivoltaics is emerging as a promising solution. For farmers and investors seeking innovative, eco-conscious strategies with strong economic potential, this technology offers compelling opportunities. In this article, we’ll explore what agrivoltaics is, the benefits it offers, and the challenges it faces—particularly in the context of Poland.

• Agrivoltaics is an innovative method that integrates solar power generation with traditional farming, enabling dual land use.
• Systems can be fixed or mobile (solar trackers), allowing flexibility based on crop needs and maximizing energy efficiency.
• Benefits include increased land-use efficiency, crop protection from extreme weather, and improved microclimates that reduce soil evaporation.
• The technology supports sustainable agriculture by improving natural resource management and allowing farmers to earn additional income through excess energy sales.
• Challenges in Poland include legal and regulatory barriers, lack of clear frameworks for dual land use, and spatial planning limitations.
• To accelerate adoption, legislative reform and financial incentives for farmers and investors are essential.
• Despite obstacles, agrivoltaics holds great promise for enhancing Poland’s agricultural and energy sectors alike.

What is Agrivoltaics?

Agrivoltaics is a forward-thinking concept that merges electricity generation with agricultural production on the same land. In practice, solar panels are installed above or beside crops, allowing simultaneous use for both farming and renewable energy. Pioneered in Germany by scientists Adolf Goetzberger and Armin Zastrow, the approach explores synergies between agriculture and solar energy. These systems can be stationary or equipped with tracking mechanisms to optimize sunlight capture for both energy generation and crop growth.

The principle behind agrivoltaics is strategic panel placement to avoid interfering with plant development. This approach yields several advantages:

• Enhanced land use efficiency – one area serves two vital purposes.
• Crop protection – solar panels shield plants from harsh weather, such as hail or intense sun.
• Microclimate improvement – shading helps retain soil moisture and reduces evaporation.

By integrating solar panels with farming, producers can boost yields while cutting energy costs, making agrivoltaics a practical solution for today’s sustainable agriculture.

How Does Agrivoltaics Work?

At its core, agrivoltaics involves installing solar panels above or adjacent to farmland. These systems may be stationary or mobile (trackers), the latter of which follow the sun’s path for greater efficiency. While trackers offer maximum performance, stationary systems are more common due to their lower installation and maintenance costs.

A key feature is their influence on the microclimate. Solar panels can shield crops from excessive sunlight, which is particularly useful during heatwaves. This shading reduces soil evaporation, conserving water and improving crop conditions.

• Shading also protects crops from hail and wind damage.
• Special panel layouts and translucent modules are used to balance light distribution for plants.

Solar energy in agriculture not only reduces reliance on fossil fuels but also enhances overall farm productivity.

Benefits of Agrivoltaics

By using land for both food and energy production, agrivoltaics allows farmers to maximize efficiency. Solar panels placed over fields not only generate clean electricity but also act as protective canopies. This shields crops from heavy rainfall, hail, and intense sunlight, supporting better yields. Agrivoltaics promotes sustainable resource management and encourages climate-smart farming practices.

One of its biggest economic advantages is income diversification. Farmers can sell excess electricity back to the grid, while also benefiting from improved crop performance. Key benefits include:

• Dual land use – productive use of space for food and energy.
• Crop protection – panels act as weather shields.
• Sustainability – supports eco-friendly farming and lower emissions.
• Revenue stability – combines energy sales with robust harvests.

These advantages are making agrivoltaics increasingly attractive to landowners and investors seeking impactful renewable energy solutions.

Challenges to Agrivoltaic Development

Despite its promise, agrivoltaics in Poland faces legal and regulatory hurdles. Current laws don’t clearly permit dual use of agricultural land, leading to legal uncertainty. Farmers often need ministerial approval to convert land for energy use—an expensive and time-consuming process. In addition, tax policies don’t support joint agricultural and energy activities, leading to higher costs for landowners.

Spatial planning poses another obstacle. Polish zoning laws rarely allow land to serve both farming and solar energy purposes simultaneously. This means new or revised zoning plans are needed, adding complexity and delays. Without a supportive legal and fiscal framework, agrivoltaics remains a hard sell for potential investors. Legislative changes and financial incentives are essential to unlocking the sector’s potential.

Agrivoltaics in Poland: Current Status and Future Prospects

In Poland, agrivoltaics is still in its infancy, but its potential is enormous. A few pilot projects are already demonstrating its viability—like the experimental farm operated by ZKlaster in Zgorzelec, which studies how solar and agricultural systems can coexist effectively. With vast agricultural land and growing interest in clean energy, Poland could become a leader in this field.

Still, the sector must overcome major hurdles. The lack of supportive laws, taxation rules, and spatial planning frameworks hinders progress. For example, farmers often lose direct subsidies if they install solar panels. Addressing these challenges requires clear legal recognition of dual land use and incentive programs to attract investment. Government and EU support could dramatically speed up adoption, improving Poland’s energy and food security while advancing sustainable development.