Agrivoltaics is the future of farming and energy

Agricultural land that also serves as a solar power plant? This innovative approach still faces legislative obstacles in Slovakia, but it is a reality in Austria. Representatives of Slovak state institutions and agricultural chambers and associations visited the EWS Sonnenfeld agrivoltaic power plant last week to see how the combination of agricultural production and solar electricity production can fundamentally change the view on the use of arable land for energy purposes. The study and educational visit took place as part of the international project From Plans to Reality – Renewable Chance for Future, which was supported by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI).

Agrivoltaics: More than just solar panels

An agrivoltaic power plant differs from a conventional photovoltaic power plant in that the photovoltaic panels are mounted at a higher height and the panels can rotate up to 360 degrees. Because they are not firmly fixed like classic photovoltaic modules, farmers can also cultivate the soil beneath them with agricultural machinery.

Agrivoltaics is not only a solution to avoid taking up fertile land for electricity production, but also brings several other benefits to farmers. “It is not only about additional income for farmers from electricity production, but also about saving irrigation or supporting biodiversity in cultivated fields, which is brought about by this very concept of green energy production,” explains Ján Horváth, a member of the executive committee of SAPI – the Slovak Association of Sustainable Energy.

The EWS Sonnenfeld agrivoltaic power plant, located in the Austrian border town of Bruck an der Leitha, has been operating since 2023. They operate an agrivoltaic power plant on 5 hectares, which also serves as research into improving crop production results within the framework of this concept. Here, the solar panels are placed above the agricultural areas, and the technological solution allows them to rotate 360 ​​degrees. Thanks to this, farmers can also use large agricultural mechanisms within agrivoltaic power plants, and therefore manage significantly larger areas.

Experience that Slovakia needs
However, this innovative method of land use still encounters obstacles in Slovakia. Slovak farmers could not only receive a stable income from the sale of electricity, but at the same time the technology would help them improve growing conditions and save on irrigation costs.

During the summer heat, photovoltaic panels create shade, which reduces the soil temperature, in the case of EWS Sonnenfeld it was by up to 5 °C during the summer months of 2024. This reduces the need for irrigation, thus saving costs for growing crops and at the same time improving the conditions for crop growth. Since the panels protect the soil from direct wind, they also help maintain higher soil moisture in the spring and autumn months.

In addition, as the results of research at EWS Sonnenfeld for 2024 show, the soil under the panels is 0.3 °C warmer even during winter. Thanks to the better microclimate, EWS Sonnenfeld achieved 10% higher crop yields compared to adjacent reference areas without agrivoltaic panels. “Agrivoltaics shows us how land can be used efficiently and sustainably. Slovak farmers could benefit not only from green income, but also from better conditions for growing crops,” adds J. Horváth.

A challenge for Slovakia: Open the door to agrivoltaics
As J. Horváth pointed out during his visit to EWS Sonnenfeld, the problem in the case of the development of agrivoltaics in Slovakia is mainly the legislation. It does not allow the use of arable land for the combined production of food and energy, because the laws allow the use of land either for agricultural production or for industrial purposes. “In other countries, it is already common to classify land for dual use, i.e. growing crops and producing electricity. As SAPI, we communicate with state institutions and can share experiences from other countries with them,” explains Ján Horváth.

For Slovakia, which has exceptionally suitable conditions for producing electricity from the sun in its southern regions with high-quality agricultural land, agrivoltaics are the optimal solution. Creating the conditions for the development of agrivoltaics would bring farmers not only financial stability, but also improved conditions for growing crops.