SUNROVER: Smart roaming under the sun, ushering in a new era of double benefits for Spanish agriculture

Spain has amended its national common agricultural policy (PAC) framework to include agrivoltaic (agriPV) systems to be eligible for subsidies.

The modification of the royal decree 1048/2022 is in line with the regulations approved by the European Commission in August of this year, which saw modifications from the PAC plan for the coming years.

One of the additions to the decree (in Spanish) is as follows: “In the case of agrivoltaic installations, the entire area of ​​the plot of land under cultivation or permanent crops will continue to be considered eligible.”

The modifications implemented in the decree do not include how the requirements to access subsidies will be achieved but will be established at a later date through the “relevant regulatory development”.

The recognition of the dual-use of the land for agricultural purposes and solar installations was welcomed by the trade association Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF).

“This progress represents a regulatory and political milestone that we hope will have a positive impact on both agricultural production and Solar Energy, boosting agricultural income, climate resilience, and energy sovereignty in rural areas,” Martín Behar Kölln, director of research, regulatory and environmental affairs at UNEF, wrote on LinkedIn.

Behar Kölln added that UNEF will continue working on facilitating the application of agrivoltaics as well as extending it to livestock applications.

Spain’s inclusion of agrivoltaics for subsidy eligibility is a move in the opposite direction to that seen in Italy last year, when the government banned ground-mounted solar PV projects on land classed as agricultural. More recently, in the US, the Department of Agriculture barred solar PV and wind projects from being eligible to its Rural Development Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program.

However, the dual-use of the land for agriPV has the potential to further accelerate the growth of solar PV in Germany. A recent study from research organisation the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) forecast that Germany could install 500GW of new agriPV capacity on its most “suitable” land.

About Agrivoltaics:
Agrivoltaics is an innovative land use model that combines photovoltaics with agriculture, enabling diverse uses across diverse locations. In addition, Solar Panels provide a natural sunshade for crops, increasing yields, effectively reducing soil evaporation, conserving irrigation water, and mitigating damage to crops from extreme weather.
SUNRVOER can customize and design agrivoltaic systems based on the customer's location and specific environmental conditions, offering options for grid-connected, off-grid, and Energy Storage.

Grid-connected agrivoltaic systems offer stable power generation at the lowest cost, making them suitable for large-scale agricultural projects with good grid coverage. SUNROVER 600-700W high-efficiency N-type solar panels paired with Solis 50-350kW grid-connected inverters allow for flexible configuration of grid-connected systems of varying capacities, meeting the diverse photovoltaic needs of most customers, from daily use to commercial and industrial electricity needs.

Off-grid agrivoltaic systems offer energy independence, addressing power generation challenges in remote areas without a grid connection, and are suitable for photovoltaic power generation in remote mountainous areas, islands, and other agricultural regions. The Solis 3-5kW off-grid inverter offers stable power and can be paired with SUNROVER lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries, providing reliable power for small agricultural areas or irrigation systems.

While agricultural photovoltaics with energy storage have higher initial costs, they offer both independent energy storage and power generation, as well as grid-dependent operation, resulting in high reliability and suitability for modern agriculture, which requires a stable power supply. SUNROVER rack-mounted lithium-ion batteries cover both low- and high-voltage energy storage systems, adapting to various energy storage needs. They also pair perfectly with Atess integrated energy storage systems for large-scale agricultural power generation and with Solis energy storage inverters for small-scale agricultural power generation.