Agrivoltaics, a pioneering approach to land use that combines solar energy generation with agricultural production on the same plot, has gained increasing attention globally as an innovative solution to two pressing challenges: clean energy deployment and food security. The American Farmland Trust (AFT), a leader in promoting environmentally sustainable agricultural practices, has recently released policy recommendations focused on advancing agrivoltaics to reconcile the often-competing demands for land use. Their goals are to ensure that land retains agricultural productivity while supporting renewable energy development. This summary delves into the AFT’s key findings, explores their relevance to Australian farming, and evaluates how these recommendations could shape the future of agrivoltaics globally and in Australia.

Key Recommendations in the Report

The AFT’s policy framework is built upon a farm-centered definition of agrivoltaics that places agricultural productivity at the core of solar development. It stresses two critical characteristics of agrivoltaic projects: first, that marketable agricultural products must be cultivated for the entirety of the solar array’s lifespan; second, that the solar array must be intentionally designed in consultation with agricultural experts to accommodate diverse agricultural practices.

These design considerations provide farmers with flexibility to alter cultivation strategies in response to market conditions, fostering long-term sustainability. Importantly, the report highlights the need for strong financial incentives to encourage agrivoltaic adoption. It calls for scaling up incentive size to account for the higher costs of engineering solar arrays compatible with agriculture, as well as incentivizing increased percentages of the array used for farming.

This framework encourages developers to prioritise agrivoltaics over conventional solar projects and if there are incentive programs to safeguard ongoing agricultural productivity on solar-fitted lands, penalties for areas removed from production need to be enforced.

Another key recommendation is to improve educational campaigns to raise farmer awareness of agrivoltaics and its financial and ecological potential.

Key Findings and Strategic Value of Agrivoltaics

One of the report’s most striking findings is its projection that without policy intervention, 83% of new solar capacity in the U.S. will be built on farmland, with nearly half of this development occurring on the most productive parcels. These statistics seem to be fairly similar in Australia.