Empowering farmers in Central Europe: the case for agri-PV

Agri-PV, the simultaneous use of land for food production and solar electricity, offers significant potential for Central Europe to increase renewable energy generation and improve farmer livelihoods. Analysis shows that Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia could deploy 180 GW of agri-PV, potentially tripling the region's annual renewable electricity production. While agri-PV can increase yields for certain crops like berries by up to 16%, it can also offset yield losses in shade-sensitive crops like wheat through electricity revenues. Despite this, Czechia is currently the only country in the region with agri-PV legislation, and the report recommends that other Central European governments introduce regulations to secure CAP subsidies and incentivize the transition.

• Central Europe's potential for agri-PV is substantial, with Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia capable of deploying 180 GW of capacity. This would generate 191 TWh of clean electricity annually, which is nearly three times the region's current combined renewable electricity generation of 73 TWh.
• Agri-PV can enhance agricultural productivity and land efficiency. For fruits and berries, yields can increase by up to 16%, and land use efficiency can reach 178%. For shade-sensitive crops like wheat, yields typically remain at 80% or more, and any losses are more than offset by electricity sales.
• The electricity generated from agri-PV could significantly support the agricultural sector. Unlocking just 9% of the identified agri-PV potential would be sufficient to cover the entire electricity needs of farming and food processing in the analyzed countries, which total 17 TWh.
• Financial analysis in Poland indicates that agri-PV is significantly more profitable than traditional wheat farming. While traditional wheat production is estimated to generate net losses of €97/ha in 2024, combined electricity and wheat sales can produce an annual profit between €1,268 and €7,300 per hectare.
• Agri-PV provides electricity system benefits by utilizing east-west orientations, which creates a wider daily generation profile with lower midday peaks. This improves grid balancing, reduces curtailment, and increases capture prices compared to traditional south-facing solar farms.
• Regulatory frameworks are currently lacking in most of the region. Czechia is the only country among the four analyzed to have introduced agri-PV legislation as of May 2024, though its current laws exclude interspaced systems between cereals or grasses, which the report notes reduces the potential capacity by 96%.

APA

Ember (2024). Empowering farmers in Central Europe: the case for agri-PV. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/empowering-farmers-in-central-europe-the-case-for-agri-pv

Chicago

Ember. Empowering farmers in Central Europe: the case for agri-PV. 2024. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/empowering-farmers-in-central-europe-the-case-for-agri-pv.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=Empowering farmers in Central Europe: the case for agri-PV |date=29 August 2024 |url=https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/empowering-farmers-in-central-europe-the-case-for-agri-pv |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2024empowering, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{Empowering farmers in Central Europe: the case for agri-PV}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2024}, month = aug, url = {https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/empowering-farmers-in-central-europe-the-case-for-agri-pv}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }