200GW potential installed capacity! Germany will accelerate the development of photovoltaics on agri

Germany is launching an initiative to support the construction of solar energy projects on agricultural land, a move the country's economy ministry estimates could lead to 200GW of additional PV development capacity.

The package jointly announced by the Ministers of Agriculture, Climate and Environment will enable agricultural photovoltaic plants to be supported and promoted by the German Renewable Energy Act (EEG), enabling land to be used for both power generation and farming.

As long as the land can be restored, agricultural wasteland can be used to install solar energy projects under the EEG, and agricultural photovoltaic projects are also likely to be funded by the EU Common Agricultural Policy.

German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir said the proposals represented "a win-win situation for climate, nature and agriculture, with the three ministries already working to ensure the smoothest possible exchange between agricultural needs, energy production and nature conservation."

Germany's new coalition government aims to achieve 80% renewable energy generation by 2030

These plans form part of an effort by Germany's new coalition government to achieve more than 80% renewable energy generation within nine years. In 2020, this figure is only 45%, and Germany aims to reach 200GW of installed photovoltaic capacity in 2030.

The German solar trade association Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft recently warned that barriers would need to be "removed" in order to reach the 200GW target, welcoming the government's proposal for agri-PV but also saying there is a need to expand where new solar plants are currently "very strict" frame.

Carsten Körnig, CEO of BSW, said: "The proposals now submitted by the federal ministries are a step in the right direction, but they are not enough. The lack of places to build solar power plants can be expected to be an investment barrier."

An agricultural photovoltaic research project recently announced in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate was used to explore how solar systems can protect plants and fruits from extreme weather.

The project's partner, the Solar Systems Institute, a renewable energy developer, is testing different PV module configurations to determine the impact on plant growth and crop yields.

According to trade association SolarPower Europe, new European Commission rules will encourage tenders for some renewable energy sources, including agricultural photovoltaics.