The pressure from the National Federation of Farmers’ Unions (FNSEA) on the government is once again bearing fruit. Highly awaited by this agricultural union, but also by the country’s energy companies, a decree, published Tuesday April 9 in Official newspaper, now provides a framework for the development of photovoltaic energy on agricultural land, a practice known as “agrivoltaism”. Negotiations between the administration, energy companies and the agricultural world to bring food production and solar electricity together lasted more than a year.
In fact, the law relating to the acceleration of renewable energies was promulgated in March 2023. It stipulates that an agrivoltaic electrical project must guarantee significant agricultural production and sustainable income, and provide at least one of the following services: improvement of agronomic potential, adaptation to climate change, protection against hazards or improving animal welfare.
The decree distinguishes two approaches. That of ground-based photovoltaic energy, which can only be developed on land that has been uncultivated or uncultivated for at least ten years. These spaces will be referenced by the chambers of agriculture using “framework documents”. And that of agrivoltaism strictly speaking, which must combine agricultural production and energy production on the same land.
“A first step”
The text specifies that agricultural yield must be maintained for the entire agrivoltaic installation. In the case of crops, for example, production must be at least equal to 90% of that observed in a control plot. For breeding, the comparison seems more random. In addition, a limit of 40% soil coverage rate by agrivoltaic installations is set, in order to limit the risks of reduced yields. But this rate can be modified depending on the installation. The maintenance of agricultural production is supposed to be controlled and measured using different means by the departmental directorates of the territories.
Finally, all agrivoltaic projects must be submitted for assent to the departmental commission for the preservation of natural and forest areas. However, the decree which will establish the terms of control and sanction has not yet been published. Likewise, orders will have to be taken to validate the technologies after advice from the Environment and Energy Management Agency, responsible for verifying their compatibility with agriculture and soils. It also remains to be clarified how the value of the electricity produced will be shared between project leaders, farmers and land owners.
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